hardcore

Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair

admin — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 11:36:00 +0000

This young five-piece screamo-hardcore band from Grand Rapids, Michigan, whose album name comes from an Asian folktale, are trying something new. Many of their songs have progressively long intros, which is unusual for their genre of music. Their album begins with the track "Such Small Hands." Bordering on spoken word poetry, the track has a nice build to an emotic end that fizzles out into the next track—the epic "Said the King to the River," which starts out similar to the first track before quickening in tempo.

The mix of quick beat drums, rising guitars and thoughtful lyrics make La Dispute more complex than the average screamo band. Their songs never stay the same for long, ebbing and flowing like the ocean; each track is a part of a greater story about love and loss. I found it easier to follow the album’s progression when I turned down the volume, which is unusual for me. This may have something to do with lead singer Jordan Dreyer's, at times, whine of a voice, which really turned me off at first. But if you’re used to this type of vocals, and keep the sound level down, the melodies will sweep you past this minor flaw.

I like "Andria," once it gets passed the spoken part, which borders on whiny and over sentimentality. The intermingling guitars and fast paced drumming compliment the singer's desperate voice, which at times borders on shrill, but not as much on this particular track. I also admittedly have a soft spot for clap solos.

While many of their tracks are four- to five-minute songs that are hard to classify within an emo aesthetic, La Dispute stays true to their more mainstream roots with fast paced tracks such as "Damaged Goods" and "Bury your Flame." La Dispute does keep listeners on their ears, though, with each song slowing and speeding up at will. Boring they are not.

Written by: Chrissie Thornburg, February 25th 2009

Live at Club Europa (4/12/2007)

admin — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 01:40:00 +0000

By Panthers

Vice Records

You're not fooling me, Panthers. Despite your new, more marketable album The Trick, I know you're still the kind of absurdist intellectual revolutionaries who want to think things over and then go fuck them up--just with a little more focus on style this time round.

Front man Jayson Green's voice, more a hybrid of punk-50s, screamo-wail than a grating hardcore rasp, packs a whopping punch into a single verse. This megaphone is housed in the body of a corpulent, charismatic preacher with a charmingly sardonic onstage personality, and what I have reason to suspect is really a “nice guy” demeanor beneath it all. Panthers filled Polish dance Club Europa for their record release party, and Green’s playful sarcasm was on heavy rotation. “Someone told me to turn my vocals up, but I don’t want to melt anyone’s face off,” he said in a light, self-mocking tone. But when they started to play, it was obvious that face-melting was what they were aspiring towards even if not quite achieving it like their former hardcore outfit Orchid did regularly.

After feeling pretty rocked out, Green introduced his next song with “Here’s a slow jam for all you lovers.” I imagined Panthers were going to crank out a Yo La Tengo-ish shoegaze tune. Wrong. This band doesn’t do slow jams, and for good reason. They then burst into an only slightly less furious three-minute punker, which is one example of how conventionally hardcore punk their songs are – very short and very simple song structures.

Jeff Salane’s drum playing was nice and crisp, Justin Chearno’s guitarwork was a careful study in concentrated fury, and Geoff Garlock possessed a mean, consistent power on his Fender Jazz. Garlock also has the hair of Wolfmother’s Andrew Stockdale on top of a tough, stocky bass player’s build, which only serves to add to his appeal. These boys didn’t have a shitload of pedals or any special effects going on: just some nice big Orange cabs, some old guitars, and some talented, been-around-the-block musicians playing politically-focused hard rock. Dare I say the Panthers might be a political reference to the Black Panthers? This group isn’t explicitly feminist, but they are downright radical.

“Goblin City” is the obvious centerpiece of the new album and live repertoire: a catchy, little anthem that really cranked the crowd up. With the Panthers sounding more melodic than on previous albums, Green belted righteously about a "culturally bankrupt" city, then kicked in with a chorus contrasting the blind population with their role as political clairvoyants: "The city is right here and we can see right through it. The city is right here and you won’t look right through it." You could just rock out to this steady rhythm and love this music without recognizing its political element, but upon a careful listen, it’s evident how central a libretto is to this band’s oeuvre.

These are liberally educated sons, and I wondered if they thought of Christina Rossetti’s poem “Goblin Market”: a warning against a corrupt, desire-fraught society where goblins lure innocents into their trap. In Panthers’ songs, the goblins are hell-bent-on-consumption capitalists. On the highly theoretical end, past songs have included “Thanks for the Simulacra,” “Panthers Vs. the Automaton,” “My Commodities Have Been Fetishized” and “Post-Fascist Fantasies”; and on the lowbrow, Vice humor-approved end, little ditties like “Don’t Be a Dick” and “Stroke My Genius.”

Old fans seeking Orchid glory days may be disappointed by this move toward more melodic songs, but Panthers still put on a good show with substance. You won't be disappointed if you waver near the boundaries of hardcore and hard rock. Just skip the three hardcore bands opening for them unless you hear otherwise.

Written by: Onya Lamoureux, June 3rd 2007

I Wouldn’t Trade That for Anything

admin — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 02:52:00 +0000

By Agent

Iron Pier

I didn’t know what I was in for when I agreed to review Agent’s I Wouldn’t Trade That for Anything. Self described as melodic hardcore, rooted firmly in the Long Island sound, but strongly influenced by '90s indie rock bands like Braid, my initial response was mixed. The music has a very punk feeling to it - hard driving guitar riffs with vocals that were barely audible unless you turn up the volume to ear-splitting decibels that could permanently alter your eardrums. As someone who is old enough to remember the emergence of the punk scene in the late seventies, the band has a retro feeling, but with an updated grunge outlook.

After a second listen, I found that it was starting to grow on me, although I still wished the vocals weren’t so muted. True to its punk roots, the songs were short and quick and seemed to almost merge into each other into one long continuous, but not monotonous offering.

After reading the titles of the songs, I surmised why the lyrics were somewhat inaudible with titles like “Anywhere is Better than Here,” “Trying My Best,” “This is Getting Old,” and “Too Close for Comfort.” In spite of the angst that is suggested by these titles, I found that the music had a certain energy and originality to it that I found refreshing. Check it out if you’re willing to crank up the volume and turn down the lyrics.

Written by: Gita Tewari, April 20th 2007

Outer Space

admin — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 02:17:00 +0000

By Mass Movement of the Moth

Exotic Fever Records

This 10-song album is the first full-length recording for DC hardcore band, Mass Movement of the Moth. Post-apocalyptic lyrics about civilization crumbling amongst all its technology, this band offers music that is simultaneously melodic and chaotic, beautiful and messy. Layered and complex, this album presents classic hardcore with a dance-y keyboard edge that makes the band seem like they are doing something new with a genre that can get a bit tired. Songs alternate between scream-y lyrics that demand a reference to the lyric sheet enclosed inside, while others provide a soundtrack for the music listener who prefers a more straight-forward sing-along with fists raised approach to the classic DIY hardcore punk song. The highlight for me is the track titled “Seven” which includes the lyrics, “and if everyday is supposed to be a war, how am I supposed to find this love that I’m looking for?” It is self-reflective lyrics such as these that allow momentary breaks from the machismo so characteristic of a lot of hardcore. Judging from the past shows’ page on the band’s website, it is clear that this is a DIY hardcore band that appeals to audiences who prefer a small show in an infoshop or punk house to a corporate bar show. It also appears that the band has performed in benefit shows for many radical projects including the feminist project, Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girls.

Written by: Ailecia Ruscin, February 21st 2007