Poised and Ready for 2017

So far all of our blogs have been about albums we love, be it in the past or in the present, but this post is unique in that it is looking to the future. I'm not Nostradamus, I can't nor will I ever have the ability to tell you when the world will end or when disasters will impose their will on humanity. What I can tell you though is who to keep on your radar for 2017; these are some artists I think could really blow up next year.

Bungler

I came to listen to Bungler because of my unhealthy love for the band Great American Ghost. GAG has come through Colorado a few times and the shows I've attended I talk to them afterwards every time. Whether its a show where I'm one of 80 people or one of three people, but that is beside the point. We were talking music and they mentioned this band Bungler and said they were going to tour with them, so I thought I would check them out. What. The. Fuck. These dudes caught me off guard. Its heavy, its angry, its unorthodox, it is everything I love about hardcore. Earlier this week they announced they are opening for Every Time I Die at their annual Christmas show. So if you're lucky enough to go to that show make sure you do your homework and listen to these guys. Take a page out of their book, "reach in and destroy yourself" in the pit at that show. They also announced signing with Inner Strength Records and will have a new record entitled The Nature of Being New out on March 3rd. I guess it is a pretty easy prediction for me to make considering how successfully they're closing out 2016. Congratulations to them though, they'll be making a splash in a town near you on their tour listed below: 

Less Art

Less Art? Who is that? Exactly. The only reason I have the slightest idea of who this is is due to the fact that I never got over the untimely demise of Curl Up And Die (don't ask "who is that?" again, I don't have time to explain). I've been following their former vocalist Mike Minnick ever since and have yet to regret it. As if that wasn't enough, I found out that Less Art also consists of two members of Thrice, as well as two members of Kolwoon Walled City. They recently finished recording their first album which will drop some time next year. If you're curious to know what they sound like here is their self description from their twitter bio: "Soft. Heavy. Quiet. Loud. Feels." I'm not sure what that means, but I sure don't want to wait to find out. 

Bottomfed

I've mentioned in previous posts that bandcamp is the best invention for finding music. Everybody loves spotify, but guess what? You can't fucking find new shit on spotify. I found Bottomfed about two years ago and was immediately taken back. Their first ep caught my eye (ear is a more fitting body part to use) as well as their split with a band called From The Makers Of. Those first two ep's are fun, they're heavy, and the vocals are stellar. It sounded like they split vocals between a few members and it gave them a lot of range to play around with different sounds. They released Impatient Pile of Bones about a year later, and a week or so ago they released a single split West Berlin. Musically, they're getting better and better and they're starting to find themselves the more they write. I'm excited to see what they have in store for the future. Go listen and prepare yourself to get the fuck down. 

West Berlin

I discovered West Berlin in a very similar way to how I found Bungler. Bottomfed mentioned them in a tweet, I checked them out, and I'll be damned if anyone can tell me I'm wrong about these guys kicking ass. Mmmmmmmmmmhmmmmmmmmm, these dudes have been busy. Based on what I can gather these guys started back in April of this year (2016) and they have yet to stop writing music. They released The Northern Misery in March, a single titled Age in July, and the split with Bottomfed mentioned above. This. Shit. Slays. I downloaded their first release before boarding my flight home from Michigan back in November; what a mistake that was. It took all of my being to not start a pit on the plane. I listened to it about 15 times on my way back, and I have yet to stop. 

With that said, I can't wait to check this post out about a year from now and tell everybody I was right. Even if I'm not, each of these artists have something unique and special that they put into their work. It is something that I am grateful for and appreciate every single day. Thank you all for doing what you do. 

Ryan's List of 5 Great Albums From 2016

Nearly every top 5 or top 10 list is easy to see through. All the albums are the same genre, and they're ranked from top to bottom. Fuck that shit. You can't say one thing is better than another; art is subjective. It means different things to different people. This is not a "Best Albums" list. These are 5 albums from 2016 that I fell in love with. With that, let us begin.

Light We Made by Balance and Composure 

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Nearly every person I know that loves Balance and Composure in the same way that I do absolutely hated this album, and I totally understand why. When I listen to Separation or The Things We Think We're Missing I get overwhelmed. There is so much raw emotion in those two albums that its hard to ignore. They're sad, they're angry, and its reflected in the music, the vocals, and the lyrics, as well as an unrelenting ability to get the fuck after it. Those two albums are destructive, and  lot of the things that I love about Balance and Composure's style are absent from Light We Made. With that said, those are also major reasons why I love the absolute fuck out this album. They weren't afraid to try something new. I still feel all of that sorrow that their previous records have, but I feel it in a much different way. I love that they found a new way to express themselves. I love that it sounds upbeat and catchy and soft, yet is equally as musically and lyrically destructive as their other two albums. The album as a whole flows together really well  too. Track to track, front to back, Light We Made is beautiful. No, it doesn't sound like the Balance and Composure you know and love, but I think they grew in another direction and knocked it out of the fucking ballpark. 

Awake For Everything by Hesitation Wounds 

Before I even begin to talk about this album, I have to talk about another one. The first time I had ever heard O'God The Aftermath by Norma Jean I wanted to destroy the world. I discovered that album roughly a decade ago and I had never had that same primal instinct show its ugly face since then. Sometimes a band writes an album that makes you want to go fucking crazy, and Awake For Everything is the first album I've heard since then that has made me feel that same exact thing. Jeremy Bolm's voice is somehow able to match that gritty venomous sound the band cultivates and I love it to death. Found in all of the chaos and rampage are moments of beauty. They slow down the onslaught but are somehow able to keep the overall feel of the album in tact. Much like Light We Made (mentioned above) the album as a whole is very fluid and is difficult to stop listening to once it starts. 

Promise Everything by Basement

 I had always liked Basement, but Promise Everything is the album that pushed me to love them. With each of their albums came progress, and Promise Everything is no different. To be honest, I can't really even put my finger on what it is that I love about this album. Sometimes you just want to be sad and sulk in your own misery; when I feel that way this is what I like to listen to. Maybe it's because I've been a sad-sack in 2016 so this album just seems to always be playing, or maybe its because Promise Everything is actually as good as I think it is.  Promise Everything is full of energy. With every track comes the overwhelming urge to move your feet or sing your throat sore. Lyrically, it is both devastating and uplifting. But Ryan, how can it be two different things at the same time? Because as far as I'm concerned, it's nice knowing that other people are going through the same shit you are.

Dead Heading by Outdone

Bandcamp might be one of the best inventions ever created when it comes to mediums for music. At least once a month I scroll through new releases in a few different genres and sample bands that I think have a unique name or album cover. Back in march I saw this album artwork and was immediately sucked in, even better this band kicks so much ass that it justified my inquiry. After sampling a song I bought everything they had on their page, but Dead Heading is by far my favorite. Outdone is a hardcore band from Salinas California that has managed to capture aspects of so many bands I've grown to love into one EP. I always think it's stupid to say that one band sounds like another when trying to explain their sound (A co-worker once told me Funeral For A Friend sounds like Incubus. What?) but it's the only way I can even try to explain Dead Heading. At the risk of sounding like my dumbass coworker, this album encompasses things I love about American Nightmare and Poison The Well, while at the same time being completely distinct in their own way. At any rate, I've been listening to Dead Heading since it was released and I have yet to stop. My hope is that they are still writing music and that they have something in store for their fans in the future. 

Press The Flesh by Godzilla Black

In my first post I talked about a band I love called Down I Go. Through Twitter I came into contact another person who loves them as much as I do. We've become "international music friends" since then and share cool shit we find with one another. He turned me on to this album back in April and the shit is badass. They really are talented in every aspect, riffs that make you want bang your head, drumming that doesn't quit, an eerie synth, a MOTHERFUCKING SAXOPHONE, and vocal bits that Mike Patton himself would approve of. There is so much to listen to that it is overwhelming at first. They also have some very odd time signatures that keep you coming back for more after each listen. If you're looking to get out of your comfort zone, this is a good album to start with. All of those instruments give each song its own unique feel, yet give the album structure at the same time. A lot of my friends like the heavy sound of some of the bands I listen to but can't get past the screaming to listen to the music. It lingers on that heavy style of music without being abrasive vocally. Overall, its a hard album not to love and good for anybody that is looking to get into the heavier side of music. 

Randy's List of 5 Great Albums from 2016

You've never heard of me. My voice carries no weight in the public consciousness. I have been told I look at the world differently than most people. When I love things I typically have very boisterous, aggressive and unshakable opinions about them. Music is one of those things. So, if you can accept that I'm just "some guy" and deal with my abrasive personality Then I believe I may be able to introduce you to some music you've never heard or look at music you have in a different light. This is my list of 5 albums that I thoroughly enjoyed in 2016.  

Lost Theme's II by John Carpenter

This is a very unique album, if I had to I suppose I would classify it as a score. That's a misnomer though, because it belongs to no film, play, television show, or video game. It's unique in that it essentially gives you a soundtrack for your imagination. This score is set to the movie in your head. Depending on how strong your imagination is and how willing you are to open up your mind, this album can work much like a hallucinogenic drug. Do whatever it is you do when you want to be alone. Take a long night time drive, sit by a beach, chill in a park, lay on your bed, you get point. Do your thing, and put this album on. Let it take you somewhere. It took me to outer space. 

The Impossible Kid by Aesop Rock

I'm not sure if Ace is referring to himself with the title of this album, but It's very fitting if he is. Impossible flows and beats. Impossible that he make's the most mundane things in life masterpieces of prose and poetry. Impossibly introspective thoughts. And above all Impossible that after a career spanning 20 years this is arguably his best album. This is a master of true hip hop firing on all cylinders. While other rappers flaunt what they have and bicker over who's better, Aesop Rock continues to put his tongue to the grindstone, forever sharpening his skills. He never brags or deems himself  king, so I'll do it for him. Simply put, he's the best rapper on the planet right now. If you're a fan in any way of anything falling even remotely under the umbrella of Rap or Hip Hop you owe it to yourself to pick up this album. 

Blanco by David Bazan

Big ups to Spotify's release radar on this one. I had never heard of David Bazan before this album, but damn am I glad I stumbled into it. He has a voice that I am unable to draw a comparison to. Dark, distant, and haunting. The music is a juxtaposition of jovial pop and the depressing side of synth driven new wave. This album feels like the specter of someone from your childhood, someone that passed away years ago, has found a way to reach out of the darkness and speak to you. Bittersweet, oddly familiar, leaving you with a feeling of strange contentment when it's done. Sad music that somehow makes you smile. 

Vacancy by Bayside

    

I'm a sucker for music that sound's positive playing against lyrics and themes that are anything but. There's bands that don't pull it off, band's that do it well, and then there's Bayside. They are in a league of their own, on more levels than one. Besides being the masters of upbeat melancholia, they are entirely unique, they have created a twin guitar tone that is completely their own and Anthony Raneri's voice is unmistakable, you will never confuse Bayside for another band. On this outing they have tapped into auditory nostalgia. Somehow they have crafted a sound that replicates elements of  60's pop rock while maintaining that trademarked Bayside sound. It creates an instantly timeless album in the fact that I'm sure you can play it around your parent's or grandparents and I can almost guarantee it will get a positive reception. This is also a very cathartic album. If you've gone through a difficult period because of a relationship ending Vacancy may just be what the doctor ordered to help you work through some of those feelings.      

99 Cents by Santigold

Every artist on this list can be described as unique, but even in this crowd of gifted individuals Santigold sticks out. She is singular. There has only been, will ever be, IS, only one Santigold. I have loved her since her debut album, but I will admit, there was an instant success with that album that I found troubling. Songs from it were played in national t.v. commercials, stores in malls, etc. I've seen this happen before and was afraid that after this leap into public consciousness a major producer from a large faceless label would get their hands on her and twist her music into just another mindless pop act. Luckily, not only did that not happen, but two albums later Santigold seems more content to do whatever the fuck she wants than ever before. Constantly defying genres and expectations. Like her previous albums, trying to classify or put a label on what it is, is futile. Really all you need to know is it's good, really damn good. Regardless of your musical tastes this album is highly recommended. Doing things entirely her way Santigold was able to make an album for everyone.

Hate to Great

If you're anything like me then you'll have albums that you buy, listen to once, and absolutely hate it. Then a few weeks, or months, or years later you listen to it again regret your gut reaction. These are some albums that went from hate to great. If you're in one of these bands and actually do read this, please don't be upset. These albums hold a special place in my heart now.

Hyperview by Title Fight

I was so disappointed in this record initially. This isn't Title Fight, this album is boring and bland. It sounds like they had just discovered what reverb was and turned it all the way up to write the album. Such was my gut reaction. But that was back in February of 2015, which was unseasonably warm and dry for Colorado standards. As mentioned in my first blog, seasons have a huge impact on my impression of an album, and Hyperview is no different. A few months later there was a solid three weeks of clouds, rain, and a general sense of gloom. This album came on shuffle during that time and that was when it hit me; Hyperview wasn't meant to sound like the other albums. It has a completely different feel than Shed and Floral Green, but at the same time retains that ambiguous Title Fight sound. It also gave me a whole new perspective on those other two albums I had loved so dearly. I had never noticed that shoe-gazey sound in those older, more aggressive albums. After actually listening to Hyperview and re-listening to their previous works, their progression makes a lot more sense. This is an album I have grown very fond of over the last year and a half, and I am ashamed to admit that I disdained it at first.

Heavy Fruit by He Is Legend

Thanks to a wonderful music mentor (and even better friend) I have loved He Is Legend since I was 14 years old, which is about a decade now. During those 10 years they only got better and better, releasing Suck Out The Poison in 2006, which shattered everything I had listened to previously, then following it up with It Hates You in 2009 which to me is a masterpiece. After a long hiatus they came out with Heavy Fruit in 2014 and I was so disappointed. Where did all that "zazz" go? Where was the "lets party" sound? So, what happened? Honestly, it was the same thing that happened with the Title Fight album mentioned above. This album came out at the end of summer, and for me its 110% meant for the winter. The opening track "No Visitors" came on shuffle one night when I was walking home in a snow storm and I about lost my goddamn mind.  I immediately put the album on and continued my walk, which totally changed my perception. Every aspect of He Is Legend as a band improved with their break. The only thing I really do miss from previous albums is that deep growl that Croom would throw into tracks, but even then Heavy Fruit has become my favorite album of theirs to date, it incorporates that heavy sound they capture so well but is filled with what I think is one of the best voices in music. The harmonies are stellar, the lyrics are beautiful, and the music sets the tone for the whole feel of the album. I can't wait to hear what their new crowd funded album is going to sound like; maybe this time around I won't be such a dweeb right off the bat.

The Story So Far by The Story So Far

The first time I heard the album What You Don't See I was immediately mesmerized. It has so much energy, so much passion, and so much pain all at the same time. And then a girl broke my heart, and I had a completely new attachment to that album. In 2015 they released this self-titled album which, surprise surprise, I wasn't too fond of initially. Writing about it now, I can't even think back to what it was that I disliked. About a year ago my friend took me to dinner for my birthday and on our way she put this album on; I cried almost the whole way there. Everything about their self-titled album strikes a chord with me: mentally, emotionally, spiritually, even physically it still gives me goosebumps. It is lyrically devastating, musically captivating, and packed to the gills with emotion and energy. If one track ever comes on shuffle it is difficult to not put on the whole album front to back and sing my lungs out. If you ever see a guy singing The Story So Far shittitly in his car in the Denver area it will most likely be me. 

My first record

Most music blogs review the latest albums. They're all about that new hotness. Don't get me wrong, I love new music, but that isn't going to be what this blog is based on. Yes, I want to get some people into all that new hot FIYAH! But I also think people miss out on a lot of beautiful albums that have existed for some time. In addition to all of the junk I just stated, I'm getting a turntable for my birthday as well as my very first album on vinyl (sort of). My first album was actually gifted to me by sweet sweet friends in Muscle Beach. It's their self titled album and I am super stoked to hear what that baby sounds like on vinyl. I also drunkenly purchased RX Bandits'...And The Battle Begun at their show in Denver this past October. BUT now that I know I will have the means to play vinyls, I am having a hard time deciding what I want my "first" record to be, and here is why:
1) Down I Go, You're lucky God that I cannot Reach You:

This album is at the top of my list for several reasons. To begin, they are my favorite band. A now defunct wall-of-sound from The UK that somehow makes everything that is hardcore more heavy than ever, while simultaneously layering in aspects that make it sound as beautiful as it is destructive. Put simply, there is nothing else like it. Vocal harmonies come in so many forms throughout the album. There are moments where they sing together, moments where they sing off-beat and separately, gang vocals, screamed harmonies, the list really goes on and on. If that isn't enough, You're Lucky God is riddled with horns and the classic "WTF" timescale the band has been known for throughout their career. But seriously, WTF. Last I checked their final vinyl copy of this album was available on their bandcamp, unless somebody that loves me bought it for me (if you read this and it's still there don't buy it I will murder you).

2) Hopesfall, Magnetic North (Or A Types):



If you know the band Hopesfall then you probably also know that the group is back together and planning to write new music. You would also know that vinyl pressings of The Satellite Years, Magnetic North and A Types (limited to 400) have been announced and can be ordered through Equal Vision's merchnow site. But I'm not writing for the people who do know, I'm writing for the ones who probably don't. A lot of what I love about Magnetic North (and A Types for that matter) is oddly based around seasons. These two albums are the pinnacle of what I feel during winter. If its cold, cloudy, and snowing these are what  I want to listen to. Effortlessly straddling an awkward line between hardcore and rock these albums have a profound ability to make you feel. I'm not sure I've ever heard a more diverse sound come from one band throughout an album while still somehow retaining everything that makes them who they are. I would love to have either of those two albums to start my vinyl collection. On a semi-unrelated note, I'm excited to hear what they have in store. After hearing what Boys Night Out was able to do following a nearly 10 year break I have faith that time has only given the members of Hopesfall more they wish to express.

3) Spitfire, Self-Help:

OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD! I have found that a good portion of what I enjoy listening to is heavy. I also enjoy music that has some kind of creep or discomfort to it. Spitfire was the first band (that I personally heard) to blend the two aspects together in such a way that I thought my brain might explode. AND NOW THEY HAVE SOME ON VINYL. I love EVERYTHING about this album, but that might be in part because I've listened to it about 500 times. Self-Help is loud, it's abrasive, and moments of it are genuinely uncomfortable. One track actually features a segment of a self-help tape, until the band comes in and fucking wrecks it. That is something I have always loved about this album; the title sounds really positive. As if you'll listen to it and think "man, life is wonderful" when in reality it is exactly the opposite of that. You will want to ruin everything you own. You will break all of your belongings. You will soak your home in gasoline. You will burn everything to the ground. And then the album will end and you'll regret everything you just did. If you're too lazy to listen to a whole album, then just listen to the track "Dear John" and see what I'm talking about.