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.
1) Down I Go, You're lucky God that I cannot Reach 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:
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