Greys have been earning themselves a lot of words over here lately and that’s no mistake; their particular brand of fangs-out post-punk is exactly the kind of thing that’s worth paying a whole lot of attention to. Their Carpark debut (in conjunction with Buzz Records), Is Anything, is still dangerously high on the anticipation meter and today’s reveal of “Use Your Delusion” is only stoking that particular fire. “Use Your Delusion” premiered over at The A.V. Club but has since found its way onto soundcloud and can be heard in the provided player. Listening to this is an absolute necessity as it expands their sound in a way, that while not unexpected, is completely enthralling. All adrenaline rush and pent-up frustration “Use Your Delusion” channels the best of both post-punk and classic hardcore while being presented through a noise-punk lens. It comes off as less of an introduction and more of a victory lap, proving that this band’s confident enough to get straight to the point and leave as deep of an impression as possible. When the final vocal punctuation closes out the song’s two and a half minute runtime, it’s practically begging for a repeat listen.
Listen to “Use Your Delusion” below and cave in to the temptation of playing it multiple times in a row.
Old Flame Records continue to build themselves one hell of a catalog. Next month the label will be releasing what looks to be the umpteenth great record in the past few years that they can lay claim to; this time around it’s Dead Stars’ Slumber. They’d already teased Slumber with “Crawl”, an undeniably great basement pop song that owed a debt to the late 80’s/early 90’s SST scene as much as what was happening at that time over in New York. A little scuzz and a lot of melody is a happy meeting point to arrive at and it’s where Dead Stars find themselves once again with “Someone Else”. This time around, they’ve paired that song with a decidedly lo-fi video that winks at a long list of their influences. Micah Weisberg and Bill Dvorak directed the clip, which looks like it was shot on Super 8, and features the band miming the song in locations that range from a basketball court to a gas station to a food truck. Improbably, it comes off as more charming than tired, and suits the song nicely. Aspiring DIY directors, look to this clip for proof that you don’t need to worry about a budget. Potential listeners, start paying attention to Dead Stars.
Watch “Someone Else” below and get in a game of pick-up basketball before the sun disappears.
The more that’s revealed about Fucked Up’s Glass Boys, the more interesting itgets. From the sunnier disposition to the fact the deluxe version will come packaged with a second LP that features the drums in half-time, it seems all but destined to wind up a thrilling, enigmatic anomaly in the band’s impressive catalog. “Sun Glass”, in both song and video (the second to be released in advance of the album), continue to support this theory by featuring a band mostly known for their anxiety sounding relatively unburdened and, more than that, having fun. It’s a drastic change of pace that suits them surprisingly well; the big questions get scaled back to make way for some small self-examination and guess what? As fucked up as some things can get, overall everything’s pretty alright. Appropriately, the video’s as sun-splashed as possible, with all involved parties looking like they’ve just gone through a small hell and come out completely rejuvenated; able to appreciate the small joys of life more readily instead of taking them for granted.
Watch the improbably feel-good video for “Sun Glass” below and let it be a necessary reminder to stop and feel the sun every once in a while.
There are times when great music comes out of nowhere and seizes everything in its path without warning, leaving the listener scrambling to catch up with the destruction it left left in its wake. It doesn’t happen very frequently but when it does, it’s sure as hell worth writing about. Enter: Lady Bones and Horsehands, two Massachusetts bands who came together to release a split last year. Unfortunately, the band only managed to get that split out digitally initially. That didn’t stop either from trying to get it out into the world in a physical format, though, which is why (as of last month) the four songs from that split now exist in the world on a few cassettes.
As for the songs themselves? They’re everything anyone should want out of a DIY basement punk release: they’re impassioned, left-field, aggressive, catchy, and bordering on unclassifiable. All four nearly run the risk of toppling themselves over with great songwriting and clever arrangements. Lady Bones’ side kicks things off and the band wastes no time in hurtling themselves towards whatever the nearest object is to them. The nonstop riffing of “Courtesy Moans” growls and races in equal measure, baring an intimidating set of fangs while lodging its claws (read: hooks) deep. “Courtsey Moans” also sets up the woozy “Hoovah” perfectly, which carries over the decidedly darker tone of its immediate predecessor (one that matches the incredible artwork for the release, pictured up above). While “Hoovah” manages to maintain the pace and atmosphere of the split, it also succeeds in showcasing Lady Bones’ range, offering up a slightly more varied take on their approach without losing any impact. If anything, a lesson that can be taken away from this is that it only takes two songs to hear the sound of a band arriving.
Horsehands’ side more than holds up, plummeting the dark atmosphere into even greater depths while continuing to expand the release’s sonic palettes. It’s still an unmistakably Boston kind of sound but, as “Flagstone Sonogram” proves, that’s not something the band holds sacred. Coming off as nightmarish as it is poppy, the song’s the audio equivalent of a kaleidoscopic fever dream that’s terrifying in the moment but revisited fondly later. Again, impressive musicianship is on full display as the arrangements weave in and out of each other with tact and grace, creating a unique sound that complements Lady Bones’ songs without overwhelming them. “Hot Pants Nose Bleed” hits a lot more directly than “Flagstone Sonogram”. proving Horsehands to be another band with dynamic range and an able command over it. It’s a short, sharp blast that rounds out four songs that play into each others strengths as well as any four possibly could while also being incredible as standalones. It’s not difficult to imagine these bands having as much clout as, say, any of the flagship bands over at Exploding in Sound, in the very near future.
Listen to both sides below and make sure both of these bands are on the radar because this is music worth hearing.
As promised, here’s the second part of today’s Watch This double-headed. It’s decidedly more minimal than the last installment in terms of performance content (two of the videos featured here are solo performances) but the featured videos are just as impressive. Ranging from yet another video from Chart Attack’s coverage of the Sonic Boom Records jaw-dropping lineup for Record Store Day 2014 to another Exploding in Sound BreakThruRadio takeover feature, it’s one of the broader installments this series has ever offered up. It’s a great way to showcase some of the best bands from the DIY circuit and all of it’s just begging to be viewed. So, stay reclined, erase the last semblances of that hangover, and make sure to Watch This.
1. Laura Stevenson – The Hole (Radio K)
It’s hard to pinpoint what exactly makes Laura Stevenson so magnetic- it could just be raw talent but it seems to go beyond even that to something more transcendental. The singer/songwriter found a home on New Jersey’s Don Giovanni, a label full of some of the fiercest basement punk bands currently going, while leaning closer to folk than anything else. Impossibly, it managed to be a fit that felt more naturalistic than not and their collaborations have resulted in a handful of incredible releases (the most recent of which, Wheel, was an easy 2013 highlight). Here, she sits down for a stunning rendition of “The Hole”. It’s a mesmerizing performance from a singular talent that’s worth bootlegging for inclusions on a million different homemade mixtapes.
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2. Luke Lalonde – Needle (Chart Attack)
This is the third performance from Toronto’s Sonic Boom Records to be featured over the past two installments of this series. It’s also, arguably, the most arresting. Born Ruffians have always been one of the more intriguing powerpop acts making music and to hear them stripped down to their barest form is surprisingly rewarding. Great songwriting’s always worth listening to.
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3. Mutual Benefit – Golden Wake (Allston Pudding)
Love’s Crushing Diamond was a record that almost felt sacred while it wove itself in and out of dreamlike states. It was one of 2013’s most riveting listens, constantly coming off like the most reassuring hug. It was impossibly fierce in its gentleness, delicately assembled and expertly executed, it established Jordan Lee as an undeniable talent and ensured that just about everyone who should be paying attention to his project was doing just that. Allston Pudding was on hand to capture this video from Mutual Benfit’s first-ever sold out show and the results are entrancing.
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4. Krill (BreakThruRadioTV)
There’s just something about Exploding in Sound’s roster that makes throwing caution to the wind feel appropriate. This is the second video to earn a Watch This feature from the label’s BreakThruRadio takeover. Like Kal Marks before them, Krill took this spot by force through a series of incredible featured performances. Serious Business being Serious Business, there are also a few revealing interview moments intercut with a few separate performance clips. It’s all great fun and worth paying attention to. Oh, and Krill, Krill, Krill Forever.
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5. Radioactivity – Locked in My Head (Razorcake)
It’s been months since a video from Razorcake earned itself a spot in this series, which is a shame because of all the places that regularly wind up in one of these five slots, they’re likely the one that matches the DIY ethos this place celebrates most closely. That reasoning paired with a performance from Radioactivity was more than enough to land this a spot on the list. This is what this place is all about. Watch This and then go spin Radioactivity for the 800th time. It’s impossible to resist.
[EDITOR’S NOTE: The images in the gallery are currently overlaying themselves. A fix is currently being worked on. Until then, the pictures can be viewed in static form over at flickr and the kaleidoscopic overlaps will remain in the gallery below.]
There are certain towns in Wisconsin that exist slightly off the beaten Madison-Milwaukee path but retain a sense of industry, rather than the sprawling scenery the state’s often noted for. Wausau is one of those towns. Farther North than most major show destinations, it’s managed to carve out its own little niche in terms of tour stops based on the strength of the venues. One of the city’s most noted non-house venues is the Polack Inn, a bar perfectly suited for DIY level acts.
Last Wednesday it was used to its fullest capabilities hosting We the Heathens and Midnight Reruns. The former acted as local support and played a lengthy well-received set which offered up an inviting blend of traditional Gaelic, folk-punk, and 90’s pop-punk. Each member of the Wausau power trio proved to have very capable control over their respective instruments (guitar, mandolin, and violin) and their audience. A late start saw much of the crowd dispersing after their set- which they’ll likely be kicking themselves for after learning what they missed out on.
Midnight Reruns, now comfortably positioned as one of Wisconin’s best acts (both in studio and live), played a typically incendiary set that featured no less than five new songs. It’s worth pointing out that after the last Midnight Reruns show in Stevens Point, a person close to the band noted that their new songs were “redefining the parameters of rock n’ roll”. That sentiment proved to be more true than expected, as the new songs ably merged distinguishing characteristics from the last handful of decades. A few of the structures were borderline progressive but overall, they gave off of a vibe more vintage 70’s (while remaining impossibly modern) than the 90’s powerpop that seemingly every review wastes no time administering. It’ll be interesting to see how the new material is met once it’s officially released, to say the least.
After a blitz through all that material (which made time to include several songs from their self-titled debut, which should be considered a state classic, and “Too Tall” from their Central Time EP), they packed up. Or, rather, they began to pack up until a friend of the band requested one last song: “Basement Guy”. No one could blame her for the request; any time there’s the potential for that song to be heard, that opportunity’s worth seizing. Her request was graciously obliged (under the warm, well-intentioned reasoning of “Guys, it’s Claire [requesting the song], come on.”) and the performance that followed can be seen below. It’s the first video to be put up under the now-officially-rebranded Heartbreaking Bravery video section and it’s impossible to imagine anything being better for a first entry.
Scan through the photographs and watch the video (select 1080p for best quality) below.
No band was as successful at releasing memorably goofy and immensely enjoyable low-budget music videos in 2013 as The So So Glos were. After releasing what was arguably the most outright fun record of last year, Blowout, the band just seemed to decide that wasn’t enough and proceeded to grant us a bevvy of riches that perfected a certain aesthetic- and they’re still not done. “Speakeasy” is the fifth music video to be crafted for a Blowout track and lives up to its predecessors. Again occupying the low-budget lo-fi slot, “Speakeasy” introduces itself by way of text that gets delivered in what appear to be retro error messages on a computer. What happens after shows off the band’s personality and natural charisma as well as anything possibly could while a clever concept guides them along. It’s irreverent, idiosyncratic, self-referential and every bit as fun as anything they’ve produced so far. To say anything more would risk ruining the impact. It’s best just to watch “Speakeasy” below and grin stupidly the whole way through.
In one of the more recent pieces to run on here, I bid adieu to a camera that’s served me well over the years. There were vague allusions to various sets that I’ve been lucky enough to catch with that camera scattered throughout the piece- and while this may be dangerously close to tipping into the self-serving spectrum I do my best to avoid on here (and the fact that the audio quality is far from the best), it only seemed appropriate to showcase a few of the more memorable captures over the years. To that end, this installment of Watch This will likely wind up as the one the more unique entries in the series. One last look at the past before pushing towards what’s ahead.
It’s never to fulfill a sense of pride, it’s never for bragging rights, it’s always, in each and every instance, to support an artist that I love or that deserves as much support as they can possibly get. Established or not, this is my way of giving thanks and hopefully extending their music out to other places that may never have heard them otherwise. This holds true for my writing on Heartbreaking Bravery as well. One of the most important things anyone can do is support the art they believe in and this place will always live by that law. So, watch this or don’t, but it’ll always be here as both a reminder of some very personal memories and a showcase for some bands who deserved more attention than they ever received. Sit back, support local music, support local music, support local music, support local music (SERIOUSLY, SUPPORT LOCAL MUSIC), and Watch This.
1. Tenement – Morning Mouth (Live at the Afterdark)
This video will be the only one that actually predates the Canon PowerShot I’d been using to shoot these videos over the past several years (this set was shot on a low-end handheld Sony camcorder), it’s included because it serves as a beginning for a myriad of things: my introduction to Tenement (who would subsequently open up an entire world of music to me through their kindness), the beginnings of when I became serious about film, and the start of when I became serious about booking shows. Their five-song set, to a crowd of people they invited up onto a small stage to make them feel more at home, blew my mind and has stuck with me for approximately six years now. My opinion on this band hasn’t changed as I’ve filmed set after set after set, year in and year out- they’re one of the best, if not the absolute best, band currently going. I’ll forever be grateful to them for a number of reasons and delivering this set will always be one of them.
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2. Good Grief – Holy Smokes! (Live in Stevens Point, WI) There isn’t always a lot of options for live music in the middle of nowhere but at the height of Good Grief’s run, there were a few spells where there seemed to be an incredible show happening every other week. I attended every single one I possibly could, not just because of an undying love for live music and the DIY community but because Good Grief had tapped into something genuinely special during their time as a band. It was evidenced by the mass basement singalongs, by Mutts coming all the way from Chicago to play an unforgettable cover of a song from their final record, by the people who had little to no connection with the band who showed up at nearly every show- right up through their final marathon set at K Bueno (this is a band that will likely always have the distinction of being the only one I ever see tearing things up inside of a Shopko that was giving away free hot dogs, chips, and soda)- with a smile on their face and a beer in their hands, and by the fact that more times than not, the first time I would hear a song played for the first time, I would get chills (“Lab Rats” is still one of the most incredible pieces of music I’ve ever heard and a lock as an entry for my 50 Favorite Songs of All Time list). “Holy Smokes!” was never officially recorded, as far as I know this is the only known recording of it, which is why it takes this spot on the list- a look at some incredible music, and some incredible musicians, that too much of the world missed out on.
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3. Midnight Reruns – Too Tall (Live at Frank’s Power Plant)
Like Tenement before them, this was the first time I saw Midnight Reruns (coincidentally, if anyone asks me who I think the best bands in the state are, those are usually the first two names out of my mouth) and even just a few minutes into the first song, it was apparent it’d be far from the last. They tore that place to shreds and threw out a fiery Wreckless Eric cover in the middle of an all-out blitz of a set that showcased Graham Hunt’s beyond-his-years songwriting ability and the band’s undeniable musicianship. They’ve (somehow) only steadily improved since then and have built an impressive expanding fanbase including members of The Replacements, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, ThirdCoastDigest, BrooklynVegan, and Milwaukee Record, who just ranked their debut s/t (still less than half a year old) as the 16th best record to come out of Milwaukee since 2010. Word on the street is the material they’re currently working on blows even that out of the water. Keep both eyes out and both ears open for this one.
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4. Sleeping in the Aviary – So Lonely (Live in Stevens Point, WI) Apart from Good Grief, Used Kids, The Goodnight Loving, and Hot New Mexicans (especially The Goodnight Loving and Hot New Mexicans), there are few bands that can come even remotely close to Sleeping in the Aviary as far as the “bands I wish would reunite” conversation goes. The only places I ever saw Sleeping in the Aviary play, curiously enough considering their level of name recognition, were basements (with one surprisinglytouchingexception being the vinyl LP release party for Expensive Vomit In A Cheap Hotel at the High Noon Saloon, thrown five years after the records initial release) . In one way or another, I was a part of each and every one of those shows and they wound up being a few of the most memorable nights of my life thanks to both the people around me and Sleeping in the Aviary themselves. Ever the manic pranksters, they would usually come armed with cardboard cutouts, bubble machines, various props, or adult-themed piñatas. They’d also always play with a reckless abandon and unparalleled fierceness while still clinging onto a carefree nature and clearly having the time of their lives doing it. Kyle Sobczak was a late addition to the group but provided them with a few of their most memorable songs in their final stretch. “So Lonely” is one of them- and, as mentioned before, being in the middle of nowhere means that when a basement show happens with a band of Sleeping in the Aviary’s caliber comes to play, things tend to go off the rails pretty quickly. No one has seen the regular lead personality, Elliott Kozel, since he disappeared into that crowd… (entirely untrue as clearly evidenced in the video- but still, a great myth to try to start).
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5. Charley & the Cynics – St. Christopher (Live at the Crunchy Frog)
Writing an In Memoriam piece for Charlotte was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done. I debated whether or not to include this as the fifth slot or keep it stored away due to its extremely personal nature but I realized that the few videos I did manage to capture of Charley & the Cynics during her time here had a profound effect on why I kept filming and knew it had to occupy this spot. After her untimely passing it was next to impossible to bring myself to watch the videos of her that I’d previously put up out of both respect and unfailing admiration. It’s not like I knew Charlotte all that well; I won’t pretend I did and I won’t glamorize her or try to turn her into some flawless saintly figure. I did know her well enough, though- well enough to consider her a friend and well enough to know that she was a generally positive person who always seemed to treat others with both care and affection, which is something I try to extend to everyone that gets coverage on this site. After enough time had passed, I could watch these videos without needing to spend a night drinking afterwards and I realized that they’re the crux of why I film to begin with: to celebrate the people and music I love while they’re around. Ever since the full extent of that realization hit me, these videos of Charlotte have factored into every time I’ve plugged in a camera charger, every time I’ve replaced an SD card, every time I’ve spent hours making sure an upload doesn’t crash, every time I’ve pointed a lens at a stage, she has been there as a reminder to capture the things that are important while you still can. That lesson is something I’ve carried with me every day and something that’s been a part of the majority of my decisions within music journalism. For that and for all the times I’ve been reminded of that, I’m thankful- and I keep filming.
Well, Heartbreaking Bravery’s another 50 posts in, which means that it’s time for another mixtape- and the timing couldn’t be any better. As April springs forth, a new quarter begins and leaves the first part of the year behind, opening it up for examination. First Quarter Finish is a testament to the the startling strength of 2014’s first three months and is largely composed of music that’s been featured on this site. Perfect Pussy‘s “Driver” kicks things off in a typically frenzied fashion, reflecting the purpose of this collection as acutely as possible. Make no mistake, this is a batch of songs that traffic in very high intensity even in their quietest moments.
1. Perfect Pussy – Driver
2. La Sera – Losing to the Dark
3. Cheap Girls – Knock Me Down
4. Archie Powell & the Exports – Everything’s Fucked
5. Crow Bait – 83
6. Big Air – Cemetery With A View
7. PAWS – Tongues
8. Brain F≠ – Sicks
9. Antarctigo Vespucci – I’m Giving Up On U2
10. Playlounge – Waves and Waves and Waves
11. Vertical Scratchers – Memory Shards
12. Angel Olsen – Forgiven/Forgotten
13. Silence Dogood – Chairman of the Bored
14. Priests – Right Wing
15. Green Dreams – Eye Contact
16. Fucked Up – Paper the House
17. Creepoid – Baptism
18. La Dispute – Woman (in Mirror)
19. Sleep Party People – In Another World
20. Odonis Odonis – Order in the Court
21. PILE – Special Snowflakes
22. Young Widows – King Sol
23. Protomartyr – Scum, Rise!
24. Technicolor Teeth – Tomb
25. Cloud Nothings – I’m Not Part of Me
La Dispute always seem to ignite genre arguments, which is a shame because really (while every side does seem to have some merit) the bottom line often gets overshadowed. That bottom line? They’re a band who have staked out their position not by having a hand in a myriad of styles but by making legitimately great music. Their upcoming record, Rooms of the House (due out 3/18 via Staple Records), is even more definitive proof of this. There are very few bands playing with structure- and narrative structure- quite like La Dispute. All of their past trademarks are more prominent than they’ve ever been on Rooms of the House. From the deeply concerned and fiercely empathetic delivery concerning the traits of their songs protagonists to the stealth-morphing of time signatures and tempos, Rooms of the House is as unmistakenly La Dispute as possible.
Opener “HUDSONVILLE, MI 1956” wastes no time in laying the record’s groundwork: the first lines are as follows- “There are bridges over rivers, there are moments of collapse. There are drivers with their feet on the glass; you can kick but you can’t get out. There is history in the rooms of the house.” Immediately, they’ve presented a subverted thesis that they don’t reveal the full extent of until it becomes apparent. Using a house and its objects as the source material is an inspired idea and in the right hands (La Dispute’s, certainly) yields extraordinary results. Projecting history into the mundane, “HUDSONVILLE” goes from that brief introduction to an absolutely harrowing tale of separation during a spell of severe storms. The phones are cut, the radio’s are all yelling out warnings, and lovers try to focus on anything but the fact that those closest to them may be dead. As first songs go, it’s among the best of the past few years. Not a bad start.
Coexisting with the narratives is the band’s music itself, all bottled-up fury that tends to operate on a tension-explosion dynamic, never losing an ounce of its verve. There are very few moments throughout Rooms of the House where the band scales back its intensity- whether it be the quiet kind or full-throttle. One of those moments that takes solace in relative relaxation (at least for a while) is the record’s third track “Woman (in mirror)”, which (at least in terms of instrumental arrangement) strongly resembles In Rainbows. It winds up being a strangely good look for La Dispute, who prove definitively that they can do wonders with a laid back, clean, groove-heavy track. As always, Jordan Dreyer’s lyrics are beyond exceptional (this is the guy that gave us King Park, after all) and he continues to be a viable candidate for one of this generation’s best songwriters. “Woman (reading)”, at least until it descends into controlled chaos, and “Objects in Space” also reside snugly with “Woman (in mirror)” and its chilled-out territory. Each offering up a fair few surprises and winding up with equal worth.
As nice as it is to hear La Dispute so fully embrace the quieter nature of their identity, the band still thrives on bursts of violence. It’s that sense of genuine danger that made “For Mayor In Splitsville” an early standout (with an incredible video to match), with its emotional turbulence maximized. Nothing is held back, everything’s a travesty, and that’s frustrating as hell. That “Splitsville” has characters who are treated as equally as the ones in “HUDSONVILLE” may strike some sensitive people as callous but it, once again, points to Dreyer’s strengths as a storyteller. While nearly everyone in Rooms of the House is dragged through hell and back, they’re all given equal care and consideration. There’s beauty in the mundane, damaged or not, and a good story’s always worth telling. Every good story also has a very present instability and makes room for uncertainty as an important factor. La Dispute tend to live in those margins, not caring as much about the resolve as they do about the journey. It’s a trait that plays directly into what makes Rooms of the House so successful as a collection of stories and what ties them all together. The house metaphor is used heavily throughout the record but really it’s strongest unifying factor is the open fears of the protagonists in the heart of their respective stories.
When Rooms of the House has exhausted all of its punches and winds down with “Objects In Space”, songs like the absolutely furious “Stay Happy There” are still resonating; their shots buried into the fabric of the story as a whole. Everything splits apart and crumbles, buckling under the weight of its volatile nature. Depending on how empathetic the listener tends to be, they’ll either be drained or riveted- often both. This is the kind of work that merits a pause once it’s run through, though. It’s not a light piece and it requires a fair amount of investment. Fortunately, that investment gets rewarded tenfold and the listener’s not only left with an outstanding record but an incredibly memorable story and frighteningly immersive experience. While La Dispute certainly weren’t making anything that wasn’t worth listening to before this, with Rooms of the House they’ve managed to top themselves. It’s an incredible record and will very likely experience a strong amount of support come December. Until then, all that’s left to do is get lost in its stories.
Watch the video for “For Mayor In Splitsville” below and stream the whole record over at the band’s soundcloud.
Heartbreaking Bravery 