Heartbreaking Bravery

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Tag: Can’t Wait

August 29, 2016

No Hoax – No Hoax (Music Video)

no hoax

Music videos from the likes of Green Dreams, Twist, SLØTFACE, Heidi Lynne Gluck, The Raveonettes, Trentemøller, NAKED, and Mick Jenkins closed out last week in a memorable fashion. In that stretch, emergent Wisconsin act No Hoax also finally offered up their first round of recorded material and a blisteringly effective music video to accompany that release. “No Hoax”, their untitled debut EP’s centerpiece claimed the distinction of being the band’s first visual presentation and it serves as a definitive statement of the band’s early identity.

At the start of this year, I was fortunate enough to share a bill with No Hoax and catch their live show, which has been building a steadily increasing amount of buzz for over a year. The set they played remains one of the most powerful I’ve seen in 2016, which has boasted some seriously memorable outings. Combining a shoegaze-friendly wall-of-sound with post-punk atmospherics and absolutely vicious hardcore leanings, they conjured up something visceral and unforgettable. Since that set, the wait for their first recorded material has been frustrating but, thankfully, that wait’s finally over.

Not only has the band offered up their ferocious EP, they’ve provided an accompanying music video. “No Hoax”, easily the quietest moment on the EP, gets some additional bite with a direct black-and-white clip of the band performing the song in various locations. There are no frills and no flashy editing tricks, allowing the band to boldly stand on their own immediate merit, which is considerable and backed up by the members’ collective pedigree. By the time “No Hoax” ends, it feels less like a music video and more like a warning shot. No Hoax is planting their feet in the ground, not moving an inch, and making their name known. Learn it now.

Watch “No Hoax” below and pick up the band’s debut EP here.

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July 13, 2016

Bested – Waves (Stream)

bested1

Bueno, The Exquisites, Honey Bucket, Toby Coke, Dada, Warehouse, Connections, The Conquerors, Glenn Davis, Rangers, Gonjasufi, Ski Saigon, Russian Circles, Cool Ghouls, Fraternal Twin, Wildhoney, Cool American, Twist, and Vomitface have all put out strong new tracks over the past two weeks, which is roughly the amount of time this space has experienced a mini-hiatus. That time of (briefly) sustained stagnancy comes to an end tonight with a resurgence of posts covering the worthwhile material that’s emerged in that time. Kicking things off is a post that headlights one of the very strongest tracks from that crop: Bested’s “Waves”.

A lot of acts with ties to Roomrunner have been making increasingly excellent music throughout the course of 2016 and this new solo project from drummer Bret Lanahan pushes those limits to an exhilarating apex. “Waves”, the first song to be released from a forthcoming 7″ release on site favorite Accidental Guest, is a turbo-fueled jolt of pure aggression that never loses sight of its melodic overtones.

In a manner not too dissimilar from Meat Wave, the project mixes a variety of ’90s influences that range from propulsive noise acts to slacker punk and creates something that’s both familiar and bracing in the process. The verses here are sledgehammers set on annihilation while the chorus looks skyward, even though its narrative is decidedly downtrodden. In all, it’s a galvanizing listen that announces Lanahan’s project (which quickly evolved into a full band lineup following the recording of this 7″) with the kind of determined confidence that makes them impossible to ignore.

Listen to “Waves” below and keep an eye on Accidental Guest for the pre-orders.

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