The Circle of Fifths Interview with Dearest

Dearest is a one-man creative project which uses a variety of textures to paint ambient portraits that guide you along your journey, yet still allow enough freedom for you to choose your own path within their world. He is a multi-instrumentalist that offers a unique take on how creating music can be approached, and he released his first original music at the end of October 2021 as a six song ambient EP entitled A Dream About Being A Person that is available to purchase on Bandcamp, or to stream on Spotify, Apple Music, etc. He is also a very good friend of mine, so I took the opportunity to ask him a few questions about himself, his music, and how he arrived to this point in his creative journey.

1.  The Circle of Fifths: To give a little background on yourself, your journey as a musician, and how you arrived at this point with your first original music release, I’d like to ask what got you started playing music?  What made you want to try to do it yourself?  Was it a certain band, concert, relative, etc. that got you into it?

Dearest: I’d say the biggest start to me being a musician was coming from parents who are both avid music fans as well as there being numerous musicians on my dad’s side, my dad himself being a phenomenal multi-instrumentalist. There was always music playing at home whether on the radio or my old man singing and playing something so I think it was just a matter of time until i picked up something. My dad would try to sit me down to try drums or guitar as a younger kid but the interest wasn’t really there in a serious capacity until around the time I was almost a pre-teen.

I remember I’d gotten a burned copy of the My Chemical Romance record “Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge” and it hit me in a way that I think was this sudden realization of “oh shit, the way these songs sound moves me like nothing ever has.” It’s like at ten or so years old I realized that “feelings“ were a thing and that music was a great avenue to express the more difficult ones, so to speak.
So, over the years I’ve gravitated from one instrument to the next, largely influenced by being a fan of listening to music as much as i love making it.

I’ve been in a number of bands over the years, none of which were necessarily playing “my” music and so at this point in my life I felt it was finally time to share that part of myself in a way that’s tangible (and hopefully listenable, haha). Quite frankly, it’s terrifying but i’m looking at this as a first step in baring more of myself in a way that i find difficult to do when it isn’t in music. Leaving the comfort zone.

2.  The Circle of Fifths: When did this idea for A Dream About Being A Person originate?

Dearest: The funny thing about it is that despite every piece of music i’ve ever written or recorded since i was like sixteen, this actually started out significantly less deliberate than I would’ve expected from myself, haha. 

Not long before I really sat down with an idea of what to focus on, each song on the EP was more or less an unfinished file kicking around in my computer, or not even actually recorded yet. I had rediscovered these ideas and listening back to them after some time, there was this disconnect that gave a perspective shift into “wow, these work together to tell different parts of the same story.” Once the wheels started turning, I suddenly had this concept and everything just “fit.” The skeleton of a narrative or theme became clear to me and the gaps filled themselves in.

What makes me excited is that the EP draws inspiration from some of my favorite video games, movies, and shows that all share commonalities with each other. The title is a direct quote from True Detective. A couple tracks are named after characters and quotes from video games and tv shows. In a sense it feels like a love-letter to movie scores/video game soundtracks that also tells a story that’s personal to me, at least in what feeling each song evokes.

3.  The Circle of Fifths: Being that you are a multi-instrumentalist, what is it that drove you to these instruments and textures you used for this EP?

Dearest: Throughout the pandemic I’ve spent most of my free time really exploring sound on a more granular level versus trying to compose a song. I’d say these songs were largely born from the removal of the boundary that I find myself restricted by when it comes to the limited knowledge I have of “traditional” instruments like playing chords on a guitar, a drum beat, etc.

Everything on this EP was made with synthesizers with effects added afterward, which is territory I’ve only really been in for about the past year. The fact that I don’t really know what i’m doing actually works wonders for creativity, haha.

I think what draws me into synths is that any sound or concept that speaks to me is usually something I do on accident and run with. They’re such expressive instruments and to me there’s almost this relationship where with enough input they tell you what emotion it is you should run with or explore more.

4.  The Circle of Fifths: You mentioned these ideas kind of coming together on their own.  Do you think you’ll be able to translate this kind of creative process into the more “traditional” instruments you started on (drums, guitar) if/when you ever want to?  Or do you think that this all began to form itself because of the nature of the synths themselves?  Curious if this has given you a different perspective on guitar playing or drumming.

Dearest: I’d almost say it worked in the opposite order, actually. Somewhere in the past few years I had this shift where I started to see instruments more as song-writing tools than I’d previously been able to and so my guitar playing and even drumming changed stylistically to be less “look what I can do” and more “x instrument will contribute this to the song.”

I think when I happened upon the synths they were just another way that I could explore that same expressive thing that I’d been seeking out for inspiration or motivation to make songs. I’d built my whole guitar rig around this idea of making it sound as far removed from a guitar as possible to the point where I was playing the pedalboard more than the actual instrument, and using it to create textures or soundscapes that synths also do pretty well. So, I guess that it’s more expanded my horizons and help me better realize a perspective I had already started to dabble in with the instruments I started out on.

5.  The Circle of Fifths: What are some of the biggest “lessons” you’ve learned through this process that you believe will make creating music, or at least translating the emotions you mentioned, easier on you going forward?

Dearest: Less is more. When I sat at my desk and started making the arrangements to turn the ideas into a cohesive body of work it was easy to feel the urge to get carried away and make a lot of post-changes to ideas that were pretty much already exactly where they needed to be. It started to get over-complicated. I took a step back and stripped all of that away again and it came out in a way I’m really proud of. I’ve always done this thing where I’ll fucking torture myself and listen back to my same idea so many times that I want to change everything about it, and then I’m so unhappy with it that I never release it, haha.

Through making this I’ve realized that a more minimal approach works better for me in that it helps me to filter out a lot of not-so-good ideas. Just because I can add something doesn’t mean I should. I also typically enjoy art with a really loose or abstract vibe so that whoever is engaged with it has a more open canvas to draw their own interpretation on.

Overall I think I’d have to say that this has really made me realize that if an idea is already to a point where I felt like I could call it done, then it probably is.

6.  The Circle of Fifths: With that in mind, do you think more ambient music is in your immediate future, or do you plan on going down a different path?

Dearest: When it comes to making stuff I’m always bouncing from one stylistic idea to the next and I think the ambient elements will always be an aspect of the music but probably won’t always be so front and center, or the primary focal point. To me it kinda represents a bigger framework that, going forward, will allow me to have creative freedom while still having signature elements that make it the “Dearest” sound even if from one release to the next the overall genre tags or whatever change. My hope is that I can keep throwing curveballs to anyone who listens because that, to me is what keeps an artist interesting as a fan, as well as keeps me personally from feeling bored with writing the same style of music over and over.

7.  The Circle of Fifths: Do you think being in a band setting where you have to compromise and only have a fraction of the creative control will ever be something you’ll find fulfilling again?  I ask this because personally,  I don’t get the same pleasure from playing with other people as I used to.  Collaborating on a project is still interesting, but “jamming” and improvising, especially with people I’m not that close with, has lost its luster.

Dearest: I ask myself this question a lot because, holy shit is it hard to be in a band. On the other hand it’s very difficult at times to be the only one working on an idea and it can start to feel insurmountable or like “man I wish I had somebody else to just tell me what this needs.” I think that being close and having a common creative goal with whoever you’re working with is critical so the only way I’d ever see myself being in a “band” is if it were like that. Nine Inch Nails essentially being one guy with a touring band for something like thirty years before it became two guys with a touring band really speaks to me, haha. 

I do hold live music very dear to my heart though so if Dearest were to start down that route I’d have to find some way to make that work because frankly, I don’t know what I’m doing enough to be the only guy onstage, nor do I want to be.

8.  The Circle of Fifths: Getting back to your new release, A Dream About Being A Person, would you care to shed any light on the meaning behind the title?  What made these sounds a fit for the theme in your mind?  I’m personally curious, but I also understand if you’d like to leave the mystery for the listener to interpret themselves…

Dearest: I definitely started out wanting to reveal nothing about the theme but I figure that my own interpretation is loose enough that others can probably draw their own conclusions from it. So, the title is a quote from True Detective where Rust Cohle is talking about how “time is a flat circle,” in reference Nietzsche’s theory of eternal recurrence. I’ve always had this tendency to ruminate or fixate on certain periods or chapters of my life and compare or find likeness in certain events from past to present. Once I listened to the whole body of work through, it spoke to me as a framework for that as it sounded dream-like which fit almost too perfectly with that theme of cycles to not roll with it.

“In Medias Res” was the perfect bookend and eventually became named accordingly as it’s technically the beginning, but is actually the end looking back or ruminating on the cycle. To me, each song is a certain phase within the cycle, the title track being the sudden consciousness or self-awareness around the start, which at times can feel like a dream. “A Dream About Being A Person” really just spoke perfectly to me about that whole existential aspect of pondering “was it all just a dream? Did I really live through that? Am I even really a person?”

9.  The Circle of Fifths: Since the projects release, what has been the biggest surprise for you?  Either in the reception it has gotten, your emotions surrounding it, or something else?

Dearest: Like I’ve said, the biggest surprise has definitely been just how warm of a response I’ve managed to receive for something like a self-produced body of work on the internet, let alone melancholy weird ambient music.  I’ve had a lot of people reach out to me about it with kind words which already is a lot more than the like, five instagram likes that I was expecting, haha. I’ve got a lot of gratitude for anyone and everyone who’s checked it out and especially supported me by paying for it.

10.  The Circle of Fifths: Lastly, how would you describe the feeling you got when you first saw your own original music up for purchase and across streaming platforms? 

Dearest: Surreal. Easily the most crazy thing is to have started writing music when I was around 15 or 16 and finally put out my first actual piece of original completed work at 26. I’ve had a computer or two and notebooks full of songs written and just hanging out for the better part of that time period so to finally see some of that be done and go beyond my own listening is such a great feeling. Not only is it cool to finally be able to say “this is something I made, give it a listen” but it’s also greatly motivating to push that and expand and pursue whatever comes next. 

A Dream About Being A Person is available to purchase on Bandcamp, and is streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, etc.

The 10 Best Albums of Quarter 3, 2021

Well, quarter 3 is always the biggest for music releases, right? Is that a thing? Or did I just make that shit up in my head? Either way, this third quarter specifically was pretty damn big in the music release department. Once you read through our top 10 albums of Q3 2021 and make it to the bottom, take a look at that list of honorable mentions because each and every one of those very easily could’ve been on the main list. A lot of good stuff to ingest, digest, and enjoygest this time around. The year end list is going to be a banger. Check it out! – MCG

Glow On by Turnstile

When I saw them in Austin circa 2016 at the Sound On Sound Festival I noticed a shirtless kid next to me talking to a group of people. As we got closer to showtime this kid started doing large laps in the crowd as if hell bent on leading a one man pit. I looked at my wife next to me a little confused on what was
going on as there were barely 25 people there for the set in total. After gaining enough momentum said shirtless kid hopped up on stage and everything fell into place after that. That little bruiser was Brandon Yates and he was not fucking around that day, he went there to start a party regardless of how many people were in attendance. As the set progressed the energy was undeniable; it took me back to all types of 90’s bands such as Fishbone, Bad Brains, Quicksand and of course 311. The only material I’d heard up to that point was Nonstop Feeling and the Move Thru Me EP which had just been released but the potential was there, they just needed more songs. Fast forward to 2021 and just after the release of Glow On, which is without doubt Turnstile’s coming out party. Produced by Mike Elizondo, who has most notably produced albums for Fiona Apple, 50 Cent and Mastodon to name a few. Turnstile have managed to bottle that live energy and filter it into a collection of their catchiest songs yet. All the Turnstile elements have been amped to 11 along with some new flourishes that you definitely wouldn’t hear on a typical hardcore record. It’s been great to follow the reactions of people who normally wouldn’t jam this sort of thing get on board with Glow On, but the moment feels earned for Turnstile who have clearly done the work to get here. If you aren’t hooked after one dose of WLD WRLD this may not be for
you as it plays like a hardcore version of Skid Row’s Youth Gone Wild, it’s an absolute anthem. My only gripe and it’s a small one would be that a big chunk of the album has trickled out since May and I can’t imagine the impact if maybe one song or none had been released prior, but regardless this is a monster release for a band certainly ready for the groundswell! – Apache Slomo

Infinite Granite by Deafheaven

Let me start by saying that Deafheaven were my favorite band of the past decade, and by a fair margin. All four albums they released in that time span are great. Three of them are flawless. So, very obviously, I was excited when Infinite Granite was announced. The story around this album is the clean vocals and the foot off of the throttle in the riff department. They had dabbled in clean vocals before but only here and there, so this is a big departure from the sound that has them sitting at the top of many peoples’ “best of 2010’s” lists. Honestly, it’s been a roller coaster for me. A ROLLER COASTER OF EMOTIONS, MAN. I wasn’t very excited about the singles (although “In Blur” has become a favorite, see; roller coaster) and on the night of its release into the world, I laid down on my bed fully inebriated and ready to take it all in. At the end of that first listen, I was depressed and having thoughts on how to come to terms with the fact that one of my favorite bands had just released an album I wasn’t very fond of. The next morning I listened to it twice as I got ready for work, drove to work, and got settled in at work. By the end of that day I had listened to it about seven or eight times, and it was picking up steam with every listen. It exposed itself to me as a three part epic with three songs each, and somehow that made this big, beautiful whole all the more accessible and enjoyable. It’s easily one of my most listened to albums of the year, and also one of the albums I have enjoyed most. All of this said, it sits very comfortably at #4 in their five studio album discography. It’s not as intense, it’s not as cathartic, but it’s truly beautiful, and even though it’s much different than their other albums I love, I’m still very sure that only Deafheaven could have made this. Now, as if anyone needed me to say this, Deafheaven knows what they are doing, and it’s up to us to sit back and enjoy whatever roller coaster ride they want to take us on. – MCG

Forest of Your Problems by Snapped Ankles

Now what if I offered you a more geopolitical LCD Soundsystem? Snapped Ankles are that band and they have arrived to say it’s okay to be environmentally conscious while shaking your money maker. Forest of Your Problems springs from a blooming London scene and they have cultivated a very enjoyable dance rock record. While its easy to hear LCD on the aptly titled Shifting Basslines of the Cornucopians, they also mine a heaping amount of Gang of Four as well as early Talking Heads. It would be easy to write this band off but doing so would be missing the point as well as a great opportunity to get down for a good cause! – Apache Slomo

She Wept… by Through Dying Eyes

If you have read any of our past quarterly or yearly posts and have elementary-level pattern recognition skills, you’ll know that I love hardcore music, and especially if the band has a female vocalists. I am of the opinion that female vocals make every genre better in almost all cases, and hardcore/post-hardcore is certainly no exception. I’m a sucker for it, and that brings us to this. Through Dying Eyes have produced a sledgehammer of an album. The thing about this one that has really stuck out to me is the length of the songs. In a genre that very often produces short, concise exorcisms and calls them songs, Through Dying Eyes take the time to really beat you over your fucking head with the violence they’ve conjured. It’s not going to be a quick death, and frankly, you don’t deserve it to be one. Suffer along patiently to this perfectly crafted madness. – MCG

Inside the Sun by Comet Control

Every quarter I’m usually on the hunt for that quintessential beach record, one that sounds great either on the way to or from the big drink or just helps you levitate once you’ve arrived. This time around that record is definitely the new Comet Control album Inside the Sun as it just hits all the right psych and shoegaze buttons for me. My first taste was back in June when they released first single Secret Life and I was definitely intrigued. Most surprising to me was how patient and fully formed Comet Control sounded so it made sense when I did a little more research that they had 2 albums out prior over a span of 7 years. Yeah, these Toronto natives do not sound like they are just getting their shit together, they beautifully layer sounds on top of each other in ways that always propel forward. One taste of the title track Inside the Sun, with those shakers and spiraling synths should certainly seal the deal. If you dig the Black Angels, Ride, Hum or Slowdive, Comet Control will make a nice addition to the collection. – Apache Slomo

Dusty Diamond by Olga Kouklaki

Many years ago I stumbled upon a song called “Budapest” by Poni Hoax, and I was so obsessed with it I began looking into the artists behind it. I didn’t realize at first that the vocals done by a collaborator and not a member of the band, so naturally, I looked into the vocalist as well. Since then I’ve been following what Ms. Kouklaki has been up to, and have very much been looking forward to this full length album of hers, the follow up to her last studio album which came almost a decade ago. On Dusty Diamond, Kouklaki blends her dark dance synth-pop noir masterfully, letting the instrumentals set the haunted stage and sprinkling her magnetic vocals throughout masterfully. Dusty Diamond is a smoldering shadow that shifts its shape in your peripheral vision and never let’s you get a good look regardless of how desperate you are to take it in. – MCG

Welcome to the Nightmare by SECTION H8

“This is LA vato and you’re about to find out that this fucking city can kill anybody!” That’s the opening dialogue of Mist-Head from SECTION H8’s Welcome to the Nightmare taken from Escape From LA’s Cuervo Jones. It took me about 4 songs into Welcome to the Nightmare to realize that this was going to be my hardcore record of the quarter, as it just pummels you into submission in 24 minutes. Hailing from a LA, SECTION H8 arrive amongst a burgeoning West Coast scene along with DRAIN, DARE, Dead Heat and the now defunct Gulch. Welcome to the Nightmare comes at you like a professional hit, hard and fast with no chance of escape. The movie excerpts chosen throughout are perfectly timed and speak to the themes of the album which is mainly the decay of Los Angeles and mankind. There is even a killer cameo by Tim Armstrong on track Streetsweeper, which leaves you definitely wanting more of that on the next Rancid album. So if a double tap to the head piece is how you like your hardcore SECTION H8 are definitely the band for you! – Apache Slomo

no altar for the company man by Supine

The unadulterated noise and unhinged aggression that drives this album right through your front fucking window do great to set up the breakdowns that are only present long enough for you to stare into the void and realize that maybe everything really is meaningless. This is an exercise in questioning everything and allowing yourself to find peace in the fact that you won’t find many answers at all by the time your eyes are shut forever. – MCG

Snake Pit Therapy by Sonny Vincent

Dating back to 1975 Sonny Vincent has been kicking out the jams in the form of sleazy garage punk manifestos. The fact that he’s still here making music with this much vigor is a testamant to the true power of punk rock. First starting out with the Testors in New York, rubbing elbows with the Dead Boys and the Ramones, he then packed up for Minneapolis. Sonny went on to form a short lived group with ex-Replacements’ Bob Stinson, as well as a few other groups before winding up in a mental hospital. After recovering back in the Big Apple, Sonny threw himself into his art and music. In 2015, he found kindred spirits in Rocket From the Crypt and released a one off garage rock tsunami in the form of Vintage Piss. On Snake Pit Therapy Sonny Vincent beats down the door once again with just the right ratio of black leather riffs and sharp hooks, landing right in the sweet spot of Husker Du, the Wipers and the Oblivians. If the aforementioned groups are your bag then one listen to The End of Light or The Rain Is Black Again will scratch that itch and leave you longing for small, smoke filled rooms and loud guitars. – Apache Slomo

Dopamine by Soccer96

There’s some incredible stuff going on here. Trip-hop, jazz, rock, synthwave…it’s an amalgamation of beautiful things and the artists behind it did a great job keeping you guessing throughout. The textures utilized on this album are unique and refreshing, and the drums and percussion do a fantastic job keeping it all glued together. It’s a journey and I find new things to love with every trip I take through it. – MCG

**Honorable Mentions**:

Change by Anika
Distant Populations by Quicksand
Primordial Arcana by Wolves In The Throne Room
A Passage Divine by Bogwife
House of Lull. House of When by Alexis Marshall
Proper Smoker by Blunt Bangs
Love is a Lie, Filth is Eternal by Filth Is Eternal
Surrounded by Motorists
Internment Failure by Koma
Idiocracy by Pist Idiots
Gegrepen Door de Geest der Zielsontluiking by Fluisteraars

The Circle of Fifths Interview with Pledge

The album Haunted Visions by Pledge, a hardcore/post-hardcore band from Portugal, was released at the end of May 2021, and is my personal front-runner for album of the year at this point in time.  It is an extremely engaging listen that challenges the listener without taking away its replay value.  The music itself and the fresh take on a genre of music I love prompted me to reach out to the band via Instagram to see if they would be open for a short interview, and to my great pleasure, they agreed.

MCG:  First of all, I just want to say that I am very grateful to have this opportunity with you all.  Your new album, Haunted Visions, has taken me by storm and been a daily listen since its release, so to have an opportunity to lob some questions your way is truly an honor.  I greatly appreciate your time and effort here with me.

I’m going to try to keep these questions fresh, but I think some background on you all would be a good start.  You reside in Portugal; is that where you all are originally from?  How did you meet and how did the band come about?

Hugo: First of all thank you very much for the kind words and we are extremely happy that you liked the record.

We all are Portuguese but from different cities, Hugo and Vitor are from Viana do Castelo, a city near Galicia Spain and Sofia, Filipe and Vasco are from Porto, it’s a 75km distance but that doesn’t stop us from creating art.

Hugo formed this band with Sofia’s voice in mind, in the mid-2000s they had a Screamo band called On Equal and 15 years and other several bands later, Hugo wrote some songs with a blackened hardcore fragrance and thought that Sofia was the right person to give life to these songs, this synergy gave rise to the EP Resilience, then the entrance of the other members was a natural process. We chose people we already knew and with whom we had already shared the stage with other bands but never been in the same band all together. It’s a completely new line up.

MCG: Being from the United States I am curious about what the music scene is like where you are. Does Portugal have a flourishing hardcore scene or are you an outlier there?

Hugo: Well, Portugal had a strong hardcore scene between mid-90`s till 2010 and we all participate directly in playing in bands or indirectly supporting the scene going to shows. The scene started in Lisbon with Straight Edge bands and gradually the hardcore wave spread throughout the country without necessarily all being Straight Edge bands. The band On Equal is a good example, in 2005 we participated in line ups with the biggest hardcore bands in the country and the scene was on fire at that time, the shows were always packed with people, there were newsstands where you could find records, fanzines and all the information on human and animal activism as a good hardcore concert must have. Now things are different, the hardcore scene is almost extinct and there is a good underground culture but of various styles, it’s all mixed so it’s not a specific scene but it’s also interesting because as musical styles are varied, so are personalities and we, being more connected to hardcore, also get to know other subcultures better and sometimes this is also inspiring in the creative part because you see musicians with a style completely different from yours and in a way you broaden your creative horizons.

MCG:  What other musicians/bands have influenced you all individually and collectively?  Any recollection of what it was that you heard that made you decide you wanted to make your own music initially?

Hugo: In my childhood when I was 7 years old, I used to sing “Fado” (a music genre related to Portuguese culture) holding my grandfather`s cabbie hat to my entire family in the purpose of earning money at the end of each song; that was the first moment I realized music will be a big part of my life. After that, my parents offered me a classical guitar and I started to learn to play by myself.

When I was 11 years old my father created a society in a restaurant with a man who was returning from France because he had fled the mandatory Portuguese military service in the 70s. So, he was returning from a culturally evolved country compared to ours, the post May 68 country, he brought a vinyl collection that is still the largest in our city today, I speak on thousands of records.

During that time I learned to live even more with music, he introduce me to names such as Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin, The Allman Brothers, Jeff Beck, Neil Young, John Mayall, and so on and on. At 16 I discovered hardcore punk, started to play drums as well and since then I have merged my life with this lifestyle, music style and these values are still the basis of my personality today. Looks like something I can’t even control, during the day my mind is creating music, it is a strange addiction…

Filipe: Music was always present in my childhood as I grew up, as my father had lots of records and the majority of those records were played in the car, when we travelled. From Carlos Paião to Spanish flamenco, from José Cid to Status Quo. There are no musicians in my close family and my father wasn’t, ‘per se’, a rocker or any specific type of music aficionado, he just loved music and bought records. The repertoire would be very rich and diverse and that, certainly, shaped my intellect around all those different sounds and expressions. When I was about six years old, I remember there was one record that, definitely, got me hooked, and that was the first and only Mamonas Assassinas self-titled album. My grandfather César brought it from Brazil. They were a young Brazilian band that tragically got involved in a plane crash, killing the whole band, shocking the whole country and even overseas. This whole horrible story intensified the ‘epicenes’ of their music in my infant brain and I would listen to it over and over again. I’ve always associated music with ideas. To me, music has to have some meaning or some context, not just sounds and noises. Despite all this early experiences, it was only until I was about 13 years old that I really wanted to be a musician. I first wanted to play the guitar, but as soon as I sat on a drum stool in front of a drum set, something happened in that moment and I knew I was a drummer. In fact, I was an avid consumer of rock and metal magazines from then on, and I would fantasize about being on a stage playing to thousands of people. My first real experience and, actually the one that shaped this crazy journey permanently, was my first ‘real’ band, Mais Uma Queda, a skate/trash/punk band. With that band I played my first shows and I got freaking hooked, for life! From then on I played in a few hardcore bands and those experiences shaped my style of playing my instrument and in that journey I met lots of beautiful people and had lots of beautiful experiences. Along the way, I gladly forced myself to learn some jazz drumming and tried to incorporate all the traditional rules and chops into my punk/hardcore essence of playing, always with the objective of adding something interesting and original to the music I was making. Nowadays, I approach music in a more organic kind of way, I really value live music as my main vehicle of expressing myself, alongside my bandmates. I want people to feel some deep emotion with my music, the same way I would feel it when I was a kid watching someone performing live, and I still feel it now. All of this in a simple and direct approach, even if it’s not so intellectual or dense. In fact, what I really want, is to make people dance, and that’s it.

Sofia: I’ve always been a lonely kid. When I was just a toddler, I used to spend a lot of time playing alone in my bedroom. At first, I would play with toys, just like any other kid my age. Then I discovered cartoons, and I would sing along every single bit of my favorite’s intro themes. I would even try to sing in languages I couldn’t possibly understand – like the German version from the Alice in Wonderland cartoon series intro theme. I remember that one being an all-time fav. My Mom soon realized I was really having the time of my life, so she brought me a little keyboard. I remember I would sit in front of it, trying to replicate the notes of the songs that I would listen to on the radio. Further down the line, I was given a walkman, and I would listen to some tape recordings from my Mom’s favorite songs. She used to do that so we could listen to them while she was driving. I also remember how much I loved to be driven by while listening to music, especially on long trips…I would imagine a hundred different music videos for the the same song, over and over again. Sometimes I would close myself in my bedroom and I would step over my bed and pretend it was a stage. Always had this weird feeling while interpreting other people’s songs that in that moment I was them, and they were me. My Mom used to listen to her vinyl collection during the weekends, especially during the morning or just before lunch on Sundays…I would regularly sit in the living room listening to portuguese artists, such as Sergio Godinho or José Mário Branco…Zeca Afonso also played many times… Also listened to a lot of bossa-nova, like Vinicius de Moraes or Ney Matogrosso. But Madredeus was definitely the one that truly got me to these days: my favorite music is called “Paraíso” and still makes me want to cry when I listen to it. When I reached the teen years, I met some kids at school who were into alternative music, mostly heavy music, and they started showing me some bands. Some of them also had bands, and I started going to their rehearsals. Then I started realizing that music really appealed to me in a special way. Not so long after, I met a guy who would become one of my best friends. He told me that he played guitar and we soon realized we were into the same bands. I said that we should do a band together, but I was mostly kidding. Turns out that he had a band and they were looking for a vocalist, and asked me if I wanted to try it out. I told him I had never even been in front of a mic, but he still gave me a chance. The first time I grabbed the mic, it was a very was instinctive: I opened my mouth, and it just came out…I didn’t even knew where it came from, it just did. They really liked it – whatever that was – so they I became part of the line-up. I started writing some lyrics, which was something that came out naturally, since I’ve always loved poetry and I used to write a lot. My uncle was also a great influence to me music wise. I actually have some really cool punk rock first edition LP’s that he passed on to me, such as the classic “Give me Convenience or Give Me Death”, from the mythic Dead Kennedys.

Vasco: I still think if wasn’t for MTV I wouldn´t had the curiosity to pick up a guitar and try to be as cool as the bands I was into back in 2004/2006. Bands like Metallica, System of a Down, Nirvana had that sound that made me feel rebellious and cool, as cliché as that might be. So I begged my parents to buy me a guitar. Before all of that I was in a lot of extra school activities and my interest in them would vanish very soon. So my parents to make sure I would not have a guitar laying around in the house after a few months, they put me in classical music school. Which was exciting for a second and my guitar teacher got that very soon. So he putted the books aside and he asked me what songs I wanted to learn, and that’s when I realised the complexity of the music I was into. That gave me so much more enthusiasm then anything I did before. I consider that the most important point of my interest in being a musician, I would spend weekends writing songs on Guitar Pro and fantasizing having a band.

For a very long time, it was me and the drums on Guitar Pro in my room. When I was 17, the Punk/Hardcore underground scene was so strong in Porto that you had a lot of concerts per week, and I was blown away with the intensity of the shows. I thought, and still do, that the shows were the most expressive way of communication. My drive was to find the perfect group of people to play loud music and express all I had to extract. As I was in this endless journey to find someone that would resonate with my taste in music and wanted to play together. It got a little bit frustrating, so I invested more in this idea of playing alone and bought my first loop pedal. That point in my life changed my approach on playing guitar. It began a more experimental way of writing, but I was steal by myself. Luckily I end up finding Filipe and everything made sense to me. All the experiments put to practice, the birth of our band Verbian and the beginning of a long friendship. When I joined Pledge I felt I got much better at my instrument, because it was something I wasn’t used to play in the guitar, a very different approach to writing songs but also a lot more room to experiment. Also gave me a big confidence boost on stage. Nowadays I feel like I did a 180 degrees on my approach to music, as a musician and also as a consumer. I don’t listen as much music as before and my most recent discovery it’s something I’m in love with, is electronic music. It’s a brand new world for me to discover and experiment with. It’s something I definitely intend to bring to this band.

Vítor: Everything begins when I started to go to the rehearsal of bands from my friends. Step by step I started to feel the need to play too.  After that, when I was 14 years old, the opportunity arose to make a band with Jaime Coutinho (RIP my brother). Initially I was going to play the guitar, but as we couldn’t find anyone to play bass, I started playing it. After that, I had other projects with him, like Mr Miyagi and The Dead Academy. It is undoubtedly to him that I must stay connected to this awesome world. But I can say that after the first concert I gave, I felt couldn´t go back, that I would have to be connected to music, in one way or another. On the stage or inside the rehearsal room, these are the only places where I can let it all out, weather is bad or good.

MCG:  What other mediums of art, literature, etc. have influenced the way you approach music and the message you are trying to get across?

Filipe: I’ve always been fascinated with people expressing themselves to an audience, through all forms, not just music. Since I was a little kid I could feel some sort of a magic feeling whenever I would watch a theater play, a dancing show or even a football game. I felt as if the performers were some kind of holy creatures, sent by the gods to cheer and amuse the people with their charisma and self-expression, to wipe away the sadness of their mundane lives, shedding some light in darkness or even, some darkness in light. Those things cannot be explained through words and, even though I didn’t quite understand what I was feeling at the time, I certainly knew, unconsciously, that I would be doing something like that one day, that I belonged to that world.

Hugo: Yeah, agree with him, and I add cinema, since my childhood every time I watch a movie I create for each specific scene a soundtrack in my head, it’s like there’s an emotional active mechanism that I don’t have access to the off button. In the daily routine it’s the same, my inspirations come from the moments of my daily life, if the days were bad I know that the riff will turn blackened, if the days were good my head will create broader and more atmospheric riffs. Everything is very connected with the state of mind, what my eyes see will turn it into a melody because I can even be accomplished with life and want to write a dark and dense song. But on this album, the objective was to continue to sound heavy as in the previous EP and, at the same time, start to diverge towards a more alternative sound atmosphere, with softer music but never losing our intensity and identity.

MCG:  In regard to your spectacular new album, Haunted Visions, what was the approach?  How did it begin to take shape?

Filipe: In this album, we wanted to take it up a notch, in terms of writing, performance and sound quality and we believe that we accomplished what we wanted in those topics. The previous release was our first EP, ‘Resilience’, released in 2018 and it served as an introduction of the band. In fact, we are a pretty recent band and that EP was our ‘battering ram’ into the doors of the world and, because of that, we hold it in a very special place in our hearts. The songs were entirely written and produced by our guitarist Hugo Martins who then, got in touch with Sofia, to write the lyrics and concepts and to be the voice of the band and with Vítor Vaz to be the bass player. I actually wasn’t even in the band at the time of the recordings. I got in the band right after they recorded the EP. From our very first show, we always felt a great feedback from the audience and that gave us more confidence to go on, always raising the bar, musically and technically. There’s no turning back now. We released two music videos supporting that record, for the songs ‘The Peter, The Wolf’ and ‘Doom and Redemption’ which you can find on YouTube. In the meantime, Vasco Reis, who is also my ‘brother from other mother’ and my bandmate in another band called Verbian, joined the band as a second guitarist and more recently, as synth player too

With Vasco on board we were able to explore more electronic sounds and synths. We decided to rewrite the song ‘The Great Inbetweeness’, which was also in the ‘Resilience’ EP, but now with a much more intense ‘outfit’. Basically, in ‘Haunted Visions’ we consolidated everything we learned since the beginning of the band and did our best to improve as musicians, individually, and also to improve our concepts and ideas, trying to make a meaningful record. The same will happen with the next record, for sure!

Hugo: Our main goal in the studio process was to capture the energy and groove that is our live signature, and most importantly, the honesty with which we face our message, especially through the lyrics and heartfelt vocals of our vocalist Sofia. To her there is no other way of making music or art, she just cannot help but be honest and to give one hundred percent of herself through her lyrics and performance. She speaks out about a bunch of critical issues that have impacted her personally and also us as human beings, and that will hit you in the face with brutal honesty and courage. So, besides the music, which is very energetic and unpredictably danceable, with bouts of brutality, balanced by nuances of melancholy, it is also, lyrically very honest and deep. We have songs like ‘Waves of Chaos’ and ‘Yardbird’ which are actually punk songs charged with a lot of energy and we also have songs like ‘Wrong Planet Syndrome’ which are much more soft and introspective in some ways, but, in the end, all of those work out pretty well, as a whole, delivering the message that we wanted to deliver with this album. Like life itself, we must not limit ourselves to just one form of perceiving the world and we tried to do it also throughout the album, without sounding disconnected or random.

MCG:  What are your writing and recording processes like?

Filipe: The album was recorded at Adrift Studio at Viana do Castelo by our talented friend André Gonçalves. The way we wrote and composed the songs was, actually, a very peculiar way. In fact, I have never taken this approach and method while recording anything. Usually, people gather in the rehearsal room and the songs are born there as they appear. The band is divided between Viana do Castelo and Porto, so, the distance is a thing we must take into consideration, but we have found our method and we are getting used to it. In fact, the next album is already being shaped in the same way. Hugo, as the songwriter and riff maker gives the first ignition sparks into what are going to be the ideas and main structures of the songs, so, he records those ideas in his computer and then sends it to me. I, then, listen to all of those, get inspired and start creating the drums and grooves for those ideas. I try to serve the songs in the first place, trying to give it what it actually needs and not just what I want to put out as a drummer. I record the drums and send him back to Hugo. The song may suffer from some tempo changes or little structural alterations so, Hugo records the guitars again with that in consideration. Of course this is a back and forth process, we are always communicating and remain flexible when it comes to alter our own parts if the song is needing it. Then it’s Vasco time to create his textures and to enhance the melodies, besides the guitars, he now has the freedom to explore some electronic parts and synths in some parts. Now we have something that finally looks like an album. Sofia now listens to it, gets inspired and starts working on the concepts and lyrics, song titles, album name and all the lyrical content of the record. She finally gives life and meaning to those songs. Vítor now takes on his four string role and records the bass lines for the record. Of course, then comes the best part, which is testing it out in the rehearsing room, where we actually have fun and turn this ones and zeros into muscle and sweat and strings moving or skins vibrating. When taking it into the studio we couldn’t be happier with how professional and insightful André Gonçalves actually was and he definitely is a big part of what we sound like and we’re counting on him to record our next album too! He made the recording process run very smoothly and made our life much easier with his knowledge and way of approaching the process in Adrift studio.

MCG:  To my ears, it seems as though you have done a great job intertwining melody within your music, both vocally and instrumentally.  That is not always the case for bands that are along the same vein as you.  Was this a conscious effort or something that just occurred naturally?

Hugo: Well, if you listen to our EP Resilience there is no melodic parts because it was written to sound as black and aggressive as possible. At that time the goal was to not have any characteristics such as melody that could attenuate the raw and heavy style that we wanted to introduce the band to the public. Along with the videos we released from that EP, we created a dark aesthetic that was intentional, we wanted to sound more metal and blackened hardcore.

In Haunted Visions things occurred more naturally, we didn’t force any style and let our influences emerge in a very natural and fresh way. As we all listen to and like bands with a more melodic touch it was reflected in the composition of the album. In a certain way we think there is a creative beauty when you realize that you continue to sound heavy as always mixed with some melodic sonic aesthetic.

Sofia: Thank you so much for the kind words. To be honest, it was something that came out pretty naturally. I’ve always been a fan of contrasts, and I think that pours out through my writing and interpretation of our songs. It might sound a little bit weird, but when I’m listening to the songs, I intuitively know what note or timber I´m going for: it’s like I’m already listening to it in the back of my head!

MCG:  I am curious about the concept of the album.  The cover art shows a person with a virtual reality device on.  Is this where the haunted visions reside?  As in, a look into our future and how technology is influencing it?  Or are they visions in a more “traditional” sense e.g. premonitions, illusions, hallucinations, etc.?

Sofia: Well, I’m very much impressed with the cover analysis you just did. You just made my day! Thank you, because that is exactly the concept we were heading to. The Haunted Visions are visions of a future ruled by technology, and astray from nature…Astray from ourselves. The virtual reality as a soul trap, a consciousness prison. You are given tools that are told to help you access your full potential, but it’s the other way around. You are being deprived from it.

MCG:  Being a musician and somewhat of a gear nerd myself, I’m curious if any of you have a piece of gear/equipment that you feel is absolutely essential to your individual sounds/tone (if applicable; what types of mics, effects pedals, amps, recording gear, etc.)

Hugo: Honestly when this band was created the intention was to be as simplistic as possible, avoiding the use of pedals and try to sound as heavy by taking the sound out directly from the amps, the only pedal we used was the Digitech Drop to go down a few octaves. With Haunted Visions things were different, we searched for a sound in the studio that we will try to reproduce live so that the audience can feel the connection with the moment they heard the album at home. We have already introduced reverbs, delays, tremolos etc… I think that this is also part of the band’s growth and maturation. In my case I use an Orange Dual Terror Head, Marshall Cabinet 1960A 4×12, Pedals Drop Digitech, Fulltone OCD V2 Overdrive, Line6 DL4, Boss Tremolo Tr-2 and the Polytune.

MCG:  Your Haunted Visions live showcase on YouTube ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1rFtc7gHKs&t=5s ) is a perfect introduction to your music.  Are there any current plans to tour behind Haunted Visions?

Pledge:  2020 was supposed to be incredible, we had two tours booked in Spain and two big festivals in Portugal but the pandemic… let’s wait for the year 2022 and see if it’s possible to get back on the road to promote Haunted Visions but honestly right now we’re more excited about the twelve new songs we’ve written during the pandemic and that will be featured on a new record.

MCG:  For those who are unaware, where can someone hear Haunted Visions? 

Pledge:  At the moment only on our label (Raging Planet) bandcamp but we intend to soon make available on all digital platforms.

MCG:  Thank you once more for your time!

Pledge:  We are so excited to hear that our record had some repercussion in the US after Brooklyn Vegan and Stereogum talked about us, cheers to that and to you, thank you!!!

Haunted Visions is out now via Raging Planet’s bandcamp:

https://ragingplanet.bandcamp.com/album/pledge-haunted-visions

– MCG.

The 10 Best Albums of Quarter 2, 2021

We’re starting to pick up some steam! Finally starting to see more album announcements and tour announcements for the remainder of the year which is very exciting. I had a very hard time narrowing it down to my personal five, which is why our honorable mentions section is so long once again. This is a good problem to have! Without further ado, the ten best albums of quarter 2 2021.

Haunted Visions by Pledge

By the time my first listen of this album was complete, I knew I’d be writing about it right here, and so from that moment on I have been thinking, contemplating, wondering exactly how I was going to be able to convey how good it is.  I’ve woken up in the middle of the night thinking about this, worrying about this, because I want to do it justice.  Over a month later and I still doubt I have the words to properly describe Haunted Visions.  It’s a hardcore/post-hardcore album.  Okay, good start.  Well, maybe not, because it’s not just ANY hardcore/post-hardcore album, because Pledge found a way to weave some beauty into the violence. Pledge hail from Portugal, and hearing a fresh spin on a genre I love makes me wonder what else their culture has to offer. – MCG

https://pledgeband.bandcamp.com/album/haunted-visions

World At War by Dead Heat

North Cali ass-stompers Dead Heat have returned to take stock of what has become of the world with, World At War. To my ears Certain Death hit right on the nose with it’s unrelenting thrash and gang shout battle cries. With World At War they have certainly upped the ante production wise but sacrifice zero of the grit. On Age of DH they arrive like a bat out of hell chanting their own name as a mantra, gang style of course, only to segue into a perfect burst of high voltage thrash on Look At It Closely. To me that’s what separates this album from the last, it’s the sequencing and the ability to slow the tempo down before dive bombing everything in site. Also the fact that World At War gets stronger and gains momentum as it goes on. Which leads us to the penultimate track Last Call, an immediate highlight for me with its 80’s hair metal riffage, feels like a lost Bark At The Moon party starter! – Apache Slomo

…And Again Into the Light by Panopticon

This album has strings, acoustic guitar, banjo, etc.  It’s a folk album.  This album has towering riffs as dark, and as light, as anything that’s ever been recorded.  It’s a metal album.  It’s a molk album.  It’s a fetal (fay-tul) album.  I don’t know man.  It’s as unique and refreshing as any music I can recall.  It’s a journey and is something to behold. – MCG

Nefarious Wave by Somnuri

       My introduction to Somnuri came via the Dirt Redux album put out by Magnetic Eye Records last year. They covered the title track and after first listen I could tell they had something special brewing. Then I heard the first single Beyond Your Last Breath and was stopped dead in my tracks. On display was the complete package, the ability to generate High On Fire crusty madness or get spacey and buoyant via Hum. On Nefarious Wave it’s easy to pick up tones of grunge, metal and shoegaze all seamlessly melded together. On early standout, Desire Lines it’s easy to imagine the many directions this band could head in, also making it very easy to forget that this is the bands debut record. Somnuri do a great job at keeping things tight at 7 songs in 36 minutes the album arrives, pummels and slams the door in your face! – Apache Slomo

Mortal Coil by Dödsrit

It seems like there aren’t many bands that make this kind of music, or at least that can do it the way Dödsrit does.  Now, that’s some very high praise, I am well aware, and I’ll be damned if they didn’t prove me right again with Mortal Coil.  They simply cannot miss, and they’ve entered the very exclusive realm of I-will-check-for-and-support-this-band-for-as-long-as-they-make-music. – MCG

Stoners Rule by Stöner

As the kids say today, it’s a total vibe and that certainly would apply to the new Stoner record! When you put former Kyuss members Brant Bjork and Nick Oliveri together, the desert sound just permeates through the speakers. The folded over, distorted bass just drips over everything covering the listener in a nice molten lava sunscreen. On Older Kids, they speak of puff puff pass and skateboard street code. In fact a great deal of Stoners Rule harkens back to old school street punk mentality and innocence lost. For these guys are the purveyors of this sound and they are serving up a sweet slice of cactus blues, cutting grass and kicking ass! – Apache Slomo

Voices by Gilded Age

This idea is incredible.  The band handed over vocal duties to different women to give them a voice for injustices in the world that they themselves have experienced or that they witnessed.  Given that, and the type of music that it is, you could call this album heavy for many different reasons.  It’s a short, cathartic scream in the face of abusers that deserve much, much worse. – MCG

Pollen by Superbloom

As a child of the 90’s, my listening habits were shaped in large part, by grunge. The radio rock throughout this decade holds a special place in my heart and with that preface, so does Superbloom’s new album Pollen. Bursting through the door with a little Silverchair swagger and Toadies stomp, Superbloom will have you retrofitted in flannel and doc martins in no time. The first song on the album is titled simply, 1994, followed by Mary on a Chain which has a hook so infectious it’s a shame it was never played on 94.9 Zeta, the 90’s rock station I grew up with in Fort Lauderdale. The album was produced by Superbloom and mastered by Will Yip who certainly knows his way around catchy fuzz rock, having worked with Angel Du$t and Title Fight just to name a few. The rest of the track list on Pollen plays as a name that nostalgia, is this track more Pumpkins or Everclear, Collective Soul or Candlebox? Either way it’s a great summer rock album overflowing with sparkle and fade in all the right places. – Apache Slomo

A Color of the Sky by Lightning Bug

To me, this feels like a big step in a new direction for “indie rock”.  I haven’t been able to put my finger on exactly why yet, but it is most certainly a level up for the entire genre.  It is rich with fresh textures, fresh ideas, and is executed expertly.  Lightning Bug have shown us a glimpse of the path forward. – MCG

Uncommon Weather by The Reds, Pinks & Purples

Everybody needs a good rainy day album and for my money this summer, my go to will be Uncommon Weather by The Reds, Pinks and Purples. If you dig the melancholy swing of early Belle and Sebastian or even the Smiths this will fall right in your wheelhouse. Pegged as the lo-fi bedroom pop project of Skygreen Leopards’ Glenn Donaldson, he shows a knack for penning ear worm hooks paired with drum machine haze. Early highlight, The Record Player and the Damage Done soothes and sways at just over two minutes as to not overstay its welcome. In fact the whole album whisks by in 35 minutes with 13 tracks, which makes it perfect for replay once it wraps up. It was no surprise to me to read that this music was created in San Francisco, as that city’s DNA permeates through Uncommon Weather, one listen to Sing Red Roses for Me lays it all out. – Apache Slomo

**Honorable Mentions**:

Seek Shelter by Iceage

Next To Pay by Warish

A Diabolical Thirst by Spectral Wound

Unscrew My Head by Ekulu

Present Tense by FACS

Onwards & Downwards by Alastor

Super What? by CZARFACE & MF DOOM

Silver Synthetic by Silver Synthetic

Volcano Park by Meat Wave

Rabbit Town Blues by Slow Fire Pistol

The 10 Best Albums of Quarter 1, 2021

Well, 2021 has sort of stumbled out of the blocks, at least in terms of music (because that’s what we’re talking about here. You could make the case it has stumbled out of the blocks in other ways as well.) 2020, for all of it’s miserableness, was an incredible year for music. Some years are better than others, that’s how it goes. Now, all of that negatively said, there are still a few handfuls of great albums that came into the world and we’ve done our best to collect them here for your listening pleasure. Dig in, dig deep. – MCG

CARNAGE by Nick Cave & Warren Ellis

I’ve loved Nick Cave’s last two albums with The Bad Seeds as much as anyone, but whenever I listen to either of them, a whisper in the back of my mind reminds me how much I miss Nick Cave with teeth.  CARNAGE ever so slightly scratches that itch, as it feels like those two aforementioned Bad Seeds albums and the two Grinderman albums mixed at a 1:1 ratio, with the former being side B and the latter being side A.  There are some instant classic moments here to let everyone know that the old days are far from over… 

“I’ll shoot you all for free
If you evеr think about coming ’round here
I’ll shoot you in the fucking facе
If you think of coming around here”

Tell ‘em, Nick!  Lines like those mixed with poetic lines of perfect beauty like this:

“And there’s a madness in her and a madness in me
And together it forms a kind of sanity
Oh baby, don’t leave me…”

Really make this album a rollercoaster of emotion, the kind that Cave has been crafting for the last four decades. – MCG

Djörk by Nopes

Nopes, the Bay Area bashers have been building towards this massive ripper for some time now.  While this is their first release for Magnetic Eye Records make no mistake that Djörk would have slotted in perfectly on either Amphetamine Reptile or Touch & Go in the 90’s.  Take barn burning opener Pocket Square Motherfucker for instance; I’d be hard pressed to believe there will be a more immediate album drop in this year. Next up is Under the Leather, a Stoogian romp so dialed in that blood stains your clothes.  Nopes were always a band built on speed and grit but with Djörk they have harnessed the salty and sweet texture that we all love from bands such as Hot Snakes, Future of the Left and Jesus Lizard.  Now, I saw this one coming when they signed to Magnetic Eye, I just didn’t think it would hit this hard! – Apache Slomo

Within One Stem by Closer

Closer’s debut album All This Will Be was one of my most listened to albums of 2018, so I was very excited, to say the least, when they announced the follow up for this year.  It feels like they took that nearly three years to hone their craft in a way that allows for their best qualities to shine as bright as possible.  The same aggression is there, only this time it is smeared across song structures that lift it up to a level that their previous album could not.  It’s a real barn burner full of moments of subtle catharsis. – MCG

SHYGA! The Sunlight Mound by Psychedelic Porn Crumpets

As silly as typing both the band and album name out I can guarantee these guys are on some other shit, talkin’ early Flaming Lips on speed shit.  Yes, an easy comparison is King Gizzy but that’s a lazy one!  I’m more on the lines of Blur vs. Oasis or Ty Segall vs. Oh Sees, just different sides of the same coin.  Somehow the Damon Alburn hooks have looked favorably upon these Perth pipers and things have certainly fallen into place, but with a fuck ton of muscle.  I’m a fan of the Aussie scene so whether we’re talkin’ ‘bout the Pist Idiots or Private Function things on Planet SHYGA! Are set to grow their own way. For instance, even after all the twists and turns on Sunlight Mound, the Tale of Gurney Gridman was there waiting for me, with the most magical Beatles homage I’ve heard in ages.  If you like the aforementioned bands, sunshine and cold beers, then by all means have at it! – Apache Slomo

We Are Always Alone by Portrayal of Guilt

Portrayal of Guilt does hardcore just as well as anyone I can think of.  The rage is seething, the bass is brooding, and the breakdowns are *chefs kiss*.  If you can’t get down with this album, then this type of music probably just isn’t for you. – MCG

Street Heat by Slope

Are these guys really from fuckin’ Germany? Well, I can assure you that this IS the sound that most of my older sisters friends skated to in the early 90’s. As Jolt Cola and Gleaming the Cube waft through the air I’m reminded of that tiny window where Living Colour flourished just before grunge, for better or worse diluted the havoc. Slope have created a funky nod to the past but do a great job at keeping the listener guessing. That’s how it is, to simply observe the past mesh with the present, gives me chills. Street Heat delivers on absolutely all accounts. If I were to go on a limb for a nice little show lineup, give me some Absence of Mine, Slope and Turnstile! This would truly be a night to remember, let’s hope they aren’t too far away. – Apache Slomo

Blood in the Water by LAPêCHE

There’s a lot of sweet, serene moments hidden in here.  The vocals float aimlessly in the wind stream above the crashing tide assaulting the sharp rock formations of the bass and drums.  The guitars weave in and out of all of it effortlessly, tying it all together.  These songs contain multitudes; they are methodical, plodding, punctilious, intense, and enveloping.  I fear this album has gone unnoticed by a lot of people that would love it.  All things considered, it might be the most complete album released so far this year. – MCG

Empyrean by Paranorm

Hailing from Sweden Paranorm have set off a neutron blast of a fucking thrash album.  Empyrean hits harder than a raging bull that’s been feasting on meth for 48hrs, we are talking riffs on tap here people!  While invoking all the thrash classics, Paranorm clearly have done their

homework yet possess the raw talent and skill to craft a world completely their own. Every time I rip into this thing I walk away with a new favorite, right now it’s Intelligence Explosion with its maze like riffage that just seem to explore a new path or level with each sonic burst. Bottom line is I don’t own a bar but if I did, I can guarantee come midnight, Empyrean would have full reign over the house PA! – Apache Slomo

Crime and Punishment by Regional Justice Center

Powerviolence?  Powerviolence.  I’ve heard this band’s music described as powerviolence.  Now, I don’t know if that’s exactly right, I’m not a genre snob so I don’t really care.  However, I DO know that this shit sounds like something that could be labeled as powerviolence.  This album grabs you by the throat.  It’s a statement.  It’s a call to arms.  It’s powerful.  It’s violent.  It sounds like a lot of other heavy music similar to this, and also sounds nothing like a lot of other heavy music like this.  Pure beauty.  – MCG

Tonic Immobility by Tomahawk

Chopping their way back into our hearts and heads Tomahawk have returned to us after a 7 year hiatus. With the old wrecking crew back in tow, Duane Denison, John Stanier and Trevor Dunn deliver the muscle and atmosphere galore. Like most Tomahawk records the music varies but stays mostly heavy with Patton spinning yarn and adopting whatever delivery he sees fit for the job, weather it’s spaghetti western croon or gothed out Scatman. Another kicker going for Tonic Immobility are the production values get amped up without losing any of their punch or grit, the thing just sounds fucking insane at night with headphones on. At the end of the day the pedigree of the band just wins out making this album truly a gift for those that love FNM, the Jesus Lizard or Helmet. – Apache Slomo

**Honorable Mentions**:

Ignorance by The Weather Station
Kiss Me Thru the Phone by A Pregnant Light
Violent Closure by GEL
Kill Grid by Enforced
The Falling by The Underground Youth
So Far No Further by Sweet Soul
A Magnificent Day For An Exorcism by th1rt3en
The Thule Grimoires by The Ruins of Beverast
Gas Light by Divide and Dissolve
Uppers by TV Priest
On All Fours by Goat Girl

The 50 Best Albums of 2020

No one would have guessed that 2020 was going to be the year that it turned out to be. What an incredibly depressing, exhausting, aggravating, and infuriating year. One of the only bright spots was the new music released. I very regularly found myself on a Friday marveling over all of the new releases to enjoy. Some things were completely new to me and some were favorites returning, but it all made for a silver lining that often kept me sane. personally. Music has saved me before and it came through again. Please enjoy the 50 best albums of 2020:

50.  Impenetrable Cerebral Fortress by Gulch

49.  Away Team by Shell Of A Shell

48.  Eno Axis by H.C. McEntire

47.  Sorceress by Jess Williamson

https://open.spotify.com/album/4PFQNELzkJ1AFwb9GsQc26?si=thUsLw2WTGC-66aiEli-LQ

46.  Whose Line Is It Anyway? by Private Function

Just some Aussie pub punk party anthems done right. – Apache Slomo

45.  Agritprop Alterna by Peel Dream Magazine

44.  The Great Dismal by Nothing

43.  Every Bad by Porridge Radio

42.  Pure X by Pure X

41.  Dance In The Decay by DROWSE

40.  NO DREAM by Jeff Rosenstock

Continues to be a torch bearer in modern day punk rock. – Apache Slomo

39.  Punishment Park by Big Cheese

38.  Ultra Mono by IDLES

37.  Off the Rails by Gino & the Goons

36.  Fetch The Bolt Cutters by Fiona Apple

For my money, Fiona Apple is one of the greatest songwriters of her generation, if not of all time, and she once again displayed her prowess on Fetch the Bolt Cutters.  This album received high praise from every publication, and rightfully so.  There’s a great interview with her on Pitchfork surrounding the album that I recommend reading. – MCG

35.  Slomosa by Slomosa

Hitting all the stoner rock groove buttons, just a great album full of crunchy riffs. – Apache Slomo

34.  Feelings Blade by Peace’d Out

Just a great little thrasher of a punk album. – Apache Slomo

33.  Radiation Breeze by Richard Rose

Another prolific force in the garage punk game has a new group. – Apache Slomo

32.  Flesh, Steel, Victory… by Seed of Pain

Chewing the fat right of the bone, Seed of Pain are not here to sugar coat things. – Apache Slomo

31.  RTJ4 by Run The Jewels

The right band for just the right time! – Apache Slomo

30.  World House by Mil-Spec

29.  Welcome to Bobby’s Motel by Pottery

Reminding me of some of old dance rock favorites such as !!! and the Rapture.

28.  Ultimate Success Today by Protomartyr

Just Protomartyr doing Protomartyr shit, man.  They have done no wrong because it impossible for them to do any wrong.  Another perfect album under their belts.  – MCG

27.  Beneath by Infant Island

Such an exciting new band, and what an incredible leap they made from their debut album, which came in at #46 on our 50 Best Albums of 2018 list.  I have a strong feeling they’ll continue to improve and blow our minds with every release to come. – MCG

26.  Enter the Mirage by The Sonic Dawn

In a crazy year, this album was my psychedelic breath of fresh air. – Apache Slomo

25.  Take A Chance On Rock’n’Roll by Couch Slut

I don’t know what genre Couch Slut are, but I do know that they do whatever it is that they’re doing as good as anyone else.  Pure, unfiltered aggression with a voice that’s clearly fed up with the bullshit. – MCG

24.  Sideways to New Italy by Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever

With hooks for days, we are reminded it’s time for a trip to the beach. – Apache Slomo

23.  Set My Heart On Fire Immediately by Perfume Genius

At this point, it’s hard to imagine him doing anything that isn’t damn near perfect and year-end-list worthy.  I’m sure it’s not as effortless as it seems, but you can’t help but listen in awe. – MCG

22.  Venus Skytrip by Psychlona

Time to blast off into the outer realm of tasty riffs. – Apache Slomo

21.  When I Die, Will I Get Better? by Svalbard

20.  Shore by Fleet Foxes

Another beautiful album that offered a reprieve from the shitstorm. – Apache Slomo

19.  Snapshot of a Beginner by Nap Eyes

A laid back and clever venture into some very important and some other not so important questions.  This album provided a great soundtrack for many patio and pool beers in the spring and fall. – MCG

18.  WHAT THE FUCK DID WE DO TO THE EARTH by SØØN

Twelve songs.  Twelve minutes.  Straight to the point and not one single bit of fucking around in sight.  This was a welcomed scream-filled aggression-fest that helped me power through some of the roughest and weirdest times this year. – MCG

17.  Osees

Just continuing to perfect and expand on what they do best, just catchier than all fuck. – Apache Slomo

16.  How to Draw Fire by Painted Doll

This is where I turned for my power pop/rock, with just the right amount of psych. – Apache Slomo

15.  Off Fire by Truth Cult

Scratching that old D.C. punk itch with aplomb. – Apache Slomo

14.  PEARS by PEARS

My favorite NOLA punks return with another shot of vitriol just before the world goes dark. – Apache Slomo

13.  Inlet by Hum

90’s knob twiddlers return with another dose of fuzz and show why so many are influenced by what they do. – Apache Slomo

12.  California Cursed by DRAIN

Like dropping a new So Cal hardcore engine in your favorite speedster. – Apache Slomo

11.  Eight Gates by Jason Molina

This one snuck up on me.  Another instance of someone not being appreciated until they’re gone.  Molina passed away in 2013 which makes this feel like a deep, dark whisper issuing lovely warnings from the other side.  May he haunt this world forever. – MCG

10.  Splid by Kvelertak

New singer, same old riff rock fury! – Apache Slomo

9.  Lungs by Regrowth

My favorite “hardcore” release of the year; who knew Italians could do the damn thing so well?  Why did you doubt them in the first place?  Get your shit together man! – MCG

8.  Ohms by Deftones

Blood-curdling scream Chino is my favorite type of Chino, so when I heard “Genesis” as a single, I was very excited at the possibility of more of that.  They didn’t disappoint, delivering an album that’s about has heavy as they’ve been in over a decade, and at the same time experiments with some new and interesting things for them all while still being very much a Deftones album.  They’re one of my favorite bands of all time and when one of your favorite bands delivers like this, it’s a damn good feeling. – MCG

7.  Push by Heads.

What an Ominous, brooding, heavy, and dark piece of music that grabs you by the throat and drags you down to its level.  This band truly has set themselves apart from their contemporaries, and in a genre that can easily be stale, they keep you guessing throughout. – MCG

6.  Have We Met by Destroyer

According to my Spotify Wrapped, I was in the top 0.05% of Destroyer listeners this year, and that’s largely due to the deep obsession period that surrounded the release of this album.  I mean, I always have a deep obsession with Destroyer, but clearly this was some next level shit.  The concept behind Have We Met really had be intrigued, and I think it allowed for some really interesting new things to happen all while staying true to the Destroyer I know and love. – MCG

5.  South of Heaven by Fotocrime

Former Coliseum frontman rises to the occasion and drops a synth rock doozy for the end of days. – Apache Slomo

4.  The Neon Skyline by Andy Shauf

I had never heard of this guy previous to this album, but damn, can he ever tell a story!  Love the concept and he pulled it off expertly.  Such a fun and easy listen from start to finish. – MCG

3.  May Our Chambers Be Full by Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou

Being a fan of both of these artists had me very excited for this collaboration.  The end result is a towering, monumental offering, and one of the most objectively good albums of the year. – MCG

2.  Pagan Rhythms by Spiritworld

Take a trip into the darkside of hardcore, melding just the right amount of Slayer and honkytonk. – Apache Slomo

1.  The New Abnormal by The Strokes

I can’t think of a more pleasant surprise than this album.  The Strokes have long been one of my favorite bands, and for the past 10 years or so it’s felt like they’ve been declining overall due to what I’m sure was a long list of reasons.  So, given that, I was hopeful, but my expectations weren’t very high for The New Abnormal.  It ended up simultaneously being true to the classic Strokes sound while still allowing for plenty of experimentation within that.  It was easily my most played album and I still can’t get enough of it. – MCG

I can’t think of a more pleasant surprise than this album.  The Strokes have long been one of my favorite bands, and for the past 10 years or so it’s felt like they’ve been declining overall due to what I’m sure was a long list of reasons.  So, given that, I was hopeful, but my expectations weren’t very high for The New Abnormal.  It ended up simultaneously being true to the classic Strokes sound while still allowing for plenty of experimentation within that.  It was easily my most played album and I still can’t get enough of it. – MCG

**Honorable Mentions**:

SPICE by SPICE
Hollow Hope by FAIM
Atlas Vending by METZ
Alfredo by Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist
What’s Your Pleasure? by Jessie Ware
III by Fuzz
From King to a God by Conway the Machine
Introduction, Presence by Nation of Language
Untitled (Rise) and Untitled (Black Is) by SAULT
Dead End by R.I.P.
Muzz by Muzz
The Price of Tea in China by Boldy James
Skeleton Coast by The Lawrence Arms
Nobody Lives Here Anymore by Cut Worms
Andra vyer by Horizont
Burden of Proof by Benny the Butcher
Viewing by Stay Inside
Speed Kills by Chubby & the Gang

**EPs**:

Lavender by Initiate
World of Pleasure by World of Pleasure
Freedom Beach by Constant Elevation
Hurts to Laugh by Methyl Ethyl
Lovers in Marble by The Cowboys
Before by James Blake
Swingin’ Swords, Choppin Lords by Mindforce
My Life is Over by Militarie Gun
Hurtin’ 4 Certain by Tommy & the Commies

The 10 Best Albums of Quarter 3, 2020

We’re back and we’ve got some hot hot heat for everyone! Quite the variety here while still staying within the scope that we usually cover. Things haven’t gotten much better in the last three months, but we still have the music to ease the pain. Plenty of good stuff here for every mood, emotion, and feeling. Dig in and enjoy!

Dirt Redux by Various Artists

The stoner rock and metal communities have been paying homage to their influences for years, mainly due to such a straight line drawn from classic rock to the beefed up or down tuned sound they pump out today. I remember my first compilation almost 20 years ago, Sucking the 70’s with Clutch covering Jethro Tull’s Cross-Eyed Mary and Raging Slab ripping through We’re an American Band. Fast forward to present and Magnetic Eye Records are perfecting the formula by taking the scene heavyweights and having them cover seminal albums of their choosing. Albums covered so far are Pink Floyd’s The Wall, Helmet’s Meantime and now Alice In Chain’s Dirt. With impeccable taste in curating the artists to participate its clear the people at Magnetic Eye adore the albums they choose to be covered as well as the artists selected to participate. Case in point is Thou kicking things off with Them Bones. If you are even sniffing around heavy music these days you know two things, 1. Thou are not fucking around and 2. They know their way around a cover! Some of my other favorites from this compilation are High Priest’s cover of Rain When I Die, Howling Giant’s take on Rooster and Vokonis’ creeping in towards the Angry Chair.

Now let’s not discount the first time I heard this recording on cassette in what seems like eons ago in 1992 when my family were on vacation in Arizona. As we’re driving up the Grand Canyon my Dad hands the rented car keys to my then, doc martin garnished older sister Melissa, who insisted on playing an album by some virtually unknown ultra-depressive, heavy as sin grunge rock band called Alice In Chains. Now I remember being in fear of my life and not just because my sister was a horrible driver at the time but as I unfolded the cassette cover pamphlet, the imagery and lyrics matched the scenery outside my window. Magnetic Eye and crew have outdone themselves once again and deserve a toast for a job well done, I can’t wait to see what they do with Vol. 4. – Apache Slomo

Ohms by Deftones

First it was nu-metal, then it was alt-metal, now I guess it’s art metal?  As hard as music critics and fans have tried, Deftones have always existed alone in their own world, free of genre tags and common classifications.  On their first album in four and a half years, they tap into what they’ve been doing best for twenty five years.  Ohms showcases the balance between the raw aggression and sensual ambience as a high wire act with sharp turns throughout.  That along with relatively long songs and a few new tricks here and there keep you guessing the entire time.  Long live these deft ones. – MCG

https://open.spotify.com/album/0VEFy5MsBiq0u2lWL0OwOd?si=E4kXr8OESXKf2-aNUy7W9Q

Whose Line Is It Anyway? by Private Function

Coming on like an Aussie pub rock Buzzcocks, Private Function know what a decent amount of speed can do for a person whose motor skills are depleted. On Whose Line Is It Anyway? they invoke that giddy walk to bathroom when you know you’ve had too much to drink, but you’re cool because you have some insurance stashed in that tiny jean pocket. The album stands as just one giant shot in the arm and absolutely deserves to be heard live in a beer-soaked pub. Some early favorites are Speed Bumps, Evie Part 4, Albury Wondonga and of course the cover of Lenny Kravitz’s timeless classic, Are You Gonna Go My Way? Following a lineage of great Aussie punk rock Private Function have delivered a raucous party starter in a tight little goodie bag! – Apache Slomo

Eight Gates by Jason Molina

As the birds chirp throughout this wonderful piece of music, I can’t help but picture it as a stroll through the consciousness of a man who left this world behind.  Molina passed away in 2013 and I had never heard of him prior to this, which makes Eight Gates feel like a deep, dark whisper issuing lovely warnings from the other side.  May he gently haunt this world forever. – MCG

Slomosa by Slomosa

If you’re in the market for some stoner fuzz from Norway that sounds like it was made at Rancho De La Luna then let Slomosa groove you in all the right places. Picking up where Queens self- titled debut left off and bridging the gap between Riddle of Steel and Kyuss. The best part of this release and what separates Slomosa from the pack are the tunes and the guitar playing. There is room in the mix for the songs to breath, whoever recorded this record certainly knows what they are doing with this sort of thing. Highlights will certainly be found with, In My Minds Desert, There is Nothing New Under the Sun, Scavengers and Estonia. So get yourself a cold one and some blue dream and spend some time with this puppy, you deserve it! – Apache Slomo

Lungs by Regrowth

Melodic hardcore from Italy?  Well then, just sign me the fuck up.  This band and album took me by storm.  I knew about 2/3 the way through my first listen that it was going to make it onto this list.  It’s a pedal to the metal, white knuckle experience that turns your life into a blur just long enough to feel some relief. – MCG

Pagan Rhythms by Spiritworld

Speeding at you like a bat out of hell and landing flat on your face is Spiritworld. With the perfect blend of hardcore and Slayer-esque shred Pagan Rhythms is the perfect album for late night debauchery and human sacrifice. Spiritworld is pretty much the one-man vision of Stu Folsom, hailing out of Las Vegas and was named after one of my favorite movies growing up, Young Guns. If you recall the scene, Chavez y Chavez played beautifully by Lou Diamond Phillips, encourages the boys to imbibe some peyote to help them face the road that lies ahead. Actually, the entire album is bathed in cowboy culture and plays like a psychedelic satanic ritual. I know it sounds like a lot to sandwich into an album but that is was separates Pagan Rhythms from most modern hardcore records. From the moment you press play, Spiritworld forces you to saddle up, face your demons and ride majestic through the gates of hell. – Apache Slomo

When I Die, Will I Get Better? by Svalbard

This is a massive leap off a cloud-covered summit into the unknown abyss below, and throughout the duration of your fall, you keep going back and forth on whether you’re going to land on your feet or on your head.  Logically it would be the latter, but there’s some peaceful hope buried here that leaves you unsure.  It’s just as alarming as it is calming. – MCG

Shore by Fleet Foxes

Dropped as a surprise release Fleet Foxes return to us much sooner than was certainly anticipated. To be honest, when I first got word of a new release the day before I was pretty sure it was going to leftovers from Crack-Up, mainly because when I listen to a Foxes record it sounds like it would take forever to make. By the end of the first song, Wading in Waist-High Water and about 10 seconds into Sunblind my eyes got big and my heart swelled. I knew this going to hit me more immediately than Crack Up, an album I’m very fond of. If you believe in the healing power of the ocean, the sun and other elements well then you can start to comprehend what this band is capable of when firing on all cylinders. I wish I could spare you the hyperbole on this one but Shore feels like a turning of the tide, a harbinger of not only a new season but better things to come. – Apache Slomo

Ultimate Success Today by Protomartyr

One of the best post-punks running blessed us once more this year with another installment of their anxious meanderings.  There are few that can harness this type of recklessness, especially with this amount of grace and precision.  The builds and crashes have never felt more prevalent or necessary as they have this year.  “When the ending comes, is it gonna hurt?” – MCG

**Honorable Mentions**:

World House by Mil-Spec
A Truth We Still Believe by Ecostrike
SPICE by SPICE
Killing for Both Realities 3 ’92 by Gag
Hollow Hope by FAIM
How to Draw Fire by Painted Doll
The Great Flood by Rope Sect
Protean Threat by Oh Sees
Microphones in 2020 by The Microphones
Ultra Mono by IDLES

The 10 Best Albums of Quarter 2, 2020

Well shit!  This year has gotten even crazier in the last 3 months since our last quarterly best of post.  It’s kind of hard to believe and still very surreal, but here we are dealing with it.  The one positive thing that can be said about 2020 without question is the insane amount of quality music releases.  I know personally that it’s been one of the few bright spots and certainly helped keep me sane through some of the most insane times.  Music has saved me and many others many times before and it has yet to cease its heroic capabilities.  Music is the silver lining no matter the circumstance, so here we are, giving you our ten best of the past three months once more.  I hope you find something new that eases your mind and your soul. – MCG

 

Enter the Mirage by The Sonic Dawn

“Just let the days go,” sage advice in the age of quarantine from the psych rock pugilists known as The Sonic Dawn. On Enter the Mirage we are encouraged to put the things we do not need aside and to fawn over the things that bring us joy. Upon first listen, Hits of Acid fell into my pocket as one of my favorite tracks of the year, a keepsake reminding me to enjoy the simple pleasures of playing a record or taking a walk outside. Over the years we’ve witnessed Sonic Dawn become better songwriters and performers, honing in on a cosmic touchscreen pulse that deserves attention. Now, I’m sure they had larger plans for this album as it absolutely deserves to be played outdoors over plumes of smoke but I hope they will take solace in knowing that it was used to provide shade and refreshment in a world that has become stagnant! – Apache Slomo

 

Take a Chance On Rock’n’Roll by Couch Slut

With 2017’s Contempt, Couch Slut provided me with a cathartic cornerstone that I was in desperate need of.  I was in the midst of some of the most dire times of my life, and screaming my head off to that album genuinely helped pull me through.  I’ll never forget that album or this band because of that.  So, with that said, when they surprised released the follow a bit over 3 years later, I was curious if it would have the same effect on me.  Maybe it hasn’t, not in the exact way at least, but that likely has to do with my circumstances and how they’ve improved in that time frame.  What I do know is that this band still owns like few others are capable, and your options are to either get on board or get the fuck out of the way. – MCG

 

 

California Cursed by DRAIN

If you’ve ever dropped a weighted anvil on your big toe than you can appreciate the not so subtle nuances of DRAIN. Hailing from Santa Cruz, the same place that brought us the feature film the Lost Boys, they are clearly here to pummel you into submission. Paying respect to the hardcore greats of the past from this region yet forging their own
path with a muscled polish all their own. On California Cursed, DRAIN embody the musical equivalent of what it must feel like to wear a bullet proof vest yet sustain every impact as each bullet evades your armor. They are a blunt force that when harnessed correctly will not only give you strength but shake off the rust that may have slowed you down prior. On White Coat Syndrome they encroach upon a world that is laying sick on a gurney as they metaphorically instruct us to either get a garlic t-shirt or get our blood sucked out. – Apache Slomo

 

Beneath by Infant Island

Infant Island released one of my favorite debut albums of 2018, and somehow I still didn’t see this monolithic beast coming from them next.  This is a tidal wave that blocks out the sun.  I feel like the album art couldn’t possibly be more fitting.  It’s a crushing assault.  It’s a momentary lapse of consciousness that provides a fleeting glimpse of the apocalypse, leaving you with a familiar unsettling in your soul.  High praises are due.  – MCG

 

Hard Wish by Pushy

If you dig hot rods, cold beers, ZZ Top, chicken legs, empty kegs or the Dazed and Confused soundtrack then Pushy is your new favorite band. Just in time for some 4 th of July brouhaha, Hard Wish is the album to put on when taking that smoked out drive to the beach or sparking the grill with nothing but time to kill. Pushy are your bearded warriors paying tribute to bands like Foghat, Alice Cooper and Grand Funk but what separates them from the pack are the tunes, one rip of Nasty Bag hits like burnt rubber in your face. – Apache Slomo

 

Pure X by Pure X

This album scratches a lot of different itches for me.  It’s a perfect and complex mix of different sounds and textures whose sum of the parts somehow accomplishes the feat of being enjoyable in a simple way.  What the hell does that mean?  Good question.  I think if you listen closely you can figure it out.  This is as smooth as the ride gets.  Buy the ticket. – MCG

 

Welcome to Bobby’s Motel by Pottery

Merging at the intersection of !!! and the Talking Heads Pottery take a more laid back approach to their dance rock. Bursting on the scene with Texas Drums Pt I & II earlier in the year gave us a nice taste of something to look forward to for a summer release date. Well, Pottery have not only delivered the stone cold grooves but manage to blend their influences in a fresh and unique way. As the temperatures and covid cases rise here in South Florida, Hot Like Jungle jumped right out at me as the summer sizzler we needed for things to fall right into place. Welcome to Bobby’s Motel is the album we need right now to dance ourselves clean and dream of better days ahead! – Apache Slomo

 

Push by Heads.

I had never heard of this band before this album, but I checked it out on whim and I’m enthralled by it.  This album does a great job of taking control of your mood, of inviting you in and then giving you no option as to the course of the proceedings.  It’s a swirling cyclone of anxiety and dissonance with cold eyes, sharp teeth, and flexing muscle.  If you ever though to yourself, “I really like this Fontaines D.C. stuff, but I just wish it wasn’t so objectively terrible”, then this album is for you. – MCG

 

Inlet by Hum

It is with great pride and joy that I get to go to bat for the vastly underrated Hum. They returned to us not completely out of the blue but decided to drop the album on a whim last week. It’s funny because the day they dropped I had the track Why I Like the Robins pop on during my morning workout and briefly thought to myself when the new album would be dropping, little did I know it was merely a few hours away. On Inlet, Hum deliver the goods in spades with great elastic tunes and on some tracks dip a toe in some more stoner fuzz/doom tones. Some early highlights have been Folding, In the Den and Cloud City. Now Hum have always been kind of a hidden gem, especially the album Downward is Heavenward but I think Inlet will be a great passageway for people to discover how exceptional and consistent this band really is. – Apache Slomo

 

The New Abnormal by The Strokes

I thought about including something else in this spot since I already sort of gushed about it on this blog, but I have been listening to this album so much since its release that it felt wrong to leave it off of this list.  They’re one of my favorite bands and it makes me so happy that they still have this high quality of an offering in them.  The expectations were low, but even had they been high and even if you feel the need to compare this album to their first two, The New Abnormal holds up, and it hasn’t lost any of its luster in the past three months. – MCG

 

 

**Honorable Mentions**:

Fetch the Bolt Cutters by Fiona Apple
Disheveled Cuss by Disheveled Cuss
Agritpop Alterna by Peel Dream Magazine
Off Fire by Truth Cult
Sorceress by Jess Williamson
Grungetown Hooligans II by Mantar
Lost in the Country by Trace Mountains
In Times of Desperation by Rain of Salvation
Strange To Explain by Woods
Harmony Avenue by Jade Hairpins
Making a Door Less Open by Car Seat Headrest
Uniform Repression by Peace Test
Alfredo by Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist

 

On the Refreshing Nature of The Strokes Finding Their New Abnormal

Blah blah blah The Strokes came out in 2000 and saved rock’n’roll blah blah they have two classics blah blah I like their third quite a bit as well but you don’t blah blah blah blah their next two albums blah are blah with blah and some really great songs but overall uninspired and the EP was good!  And so are a lot of songs Julian wrote with The Voidz!  blah blah so now after all this time blah blah their new album blah what do they have to offer in 2020?  Blah blah blah.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, that history that everyone feels the need to reiterate every single god damned motherfucking time The Strokes are discussed, let’s talk about The New Abnormal.

First, my first impressions (no, not of Earth, of the album!) and how they made me feel.  Here’s a recollection of the stream-of-consciousness thoughts I remember from the first time I heard it last Thursday Evening, because you know I stayed up to hear it:

Track 1 – “The Adults Are Talking”:  

Oh wow, very Strokes-y, nice and familiar, makes me feel at warm and cozy like a trip home for the holidays.  This is good!  If nothing else, this will be one I revisit and this easily belongs on a “Best-of” Strokes list, no doubt.  The instruments are nice and tight, Julian sounds great with the falsetto here.  Love the adlibs and studio banter at the end.  That’s new.

Track 2 – “Selfless”

Another one that can easily stand up next to their past material.  This won’t ever be the first song anyone mentions but it has great parts and the melodies are blissful.  Another great vocal performance.

Track 3 – “Brooklyn Bridge to Chorus”

Oh shit, 80’s video game intro music synths!  Fuck me up with those, guys.  Go ahead and fuck me up with them!  Plenty of great Strokes tricks strewn through this one as well.  I feel like it’s picking up some steam here.  “Can we switch into the chorus, right nowww…”.  Anything you say, good sir.

Track 4 – “Bad Decisions”

Great single, heard it a lot already.  I’m sure it’s very enjoyable for people who aren’t familiar with the songs it’s borrowing from.  The ending saves it a bit but this one will probably be skippable for me in the near future.

Track 5 – “Eternal Summer”

Oh good god all mighty, what have we here?  That groove, that melody, and that falsetto have me ready for oblivion.  I’m just here floating around loving everything about this.  Those guitars and shouting in the chorus are some real Pink Floyd-esque treats that absolutely no one was expecting.  “They got the remedy, but they won’t let it happen!”  Yeah that’s The Wall if The Wall was fun and had some Jean-Michel Basquiat graffiti on it in (eternal) summer colors.  This is instantly one of the best songs they’ve ever done and it has no business being this good.

Track 6 – “At The Door”

Okay heard this one quite a bit as well at this point.  This was the first song released from the new album letting us all know things were going to be at least somewhat different with the synths, lack of percussion, and once again, Julian bringing his A-game.  The lyrics and the melody deserve to be spotlighted here.  So good.

Track 7 – “Why Are Sunday’s So Depressing”

Good fucking question, mate.  Solid song, the vocal delivery makes it fun for me.  More synths, I appreciate that and how well they’re working with the guitars.  

Track 8 – “Not The Same Anymore”

More somber than the other songs, more serious lyrics.  Get some shit off your chest man, it’s okay, we all need that.  Let ’em know.  Great build into the chorus melody.  Nice minor key guitar solo (probably), really drives the theme of this one home, you know?  Yeah let it all breathe and ruminate to the end, that’s how we do it with the heavy shit.

Track 9 – “Ode To The Mets”

Love me some fuckin’ sports man.  Question is if this is going to be deGromm or Familia (“oh shit, does he really love him some fuckin’ sports?  Now I can’t tell because he just went there with some real deftness”).  More crooning, more Julian nailing it and hitting a home run ball far over the fence (sports continued).  Oh wait, what did he say?  Rewind.  “Drums please, Fab”.  He said “Drums please, Fab” and then the drums kicked right in on beat after missing the cue.  For the love of all that is good and sacred, tell me that wasn’t planned and rehearsed.  If that’s real, then the band that reinvented being cool in 2000 just fucking did it again.  That’s some cool ass shit!  I’ve been walking around yelling “CORONAVIRUS!  CORONAVIRUS!!” in Cardi B’s voice for a month, and now I have something new to say.  “Drums please, Fab”.  God.  So good.  OH AND THIS: 

“I was just bored, playin’ the guitar
Learned all your tricks, wasn’t too hard”

Sick burn, man.  Don’t know why he had to do it to ’em like that.  Make some room in the burn unit for sure.  This song is the perfect slow-burn (I’m on a roll) fade out.  Great melodies again, fuck, JFC is unstoppable and can do no wrong.  Time to start it over.

 

So there you have it.  Perhaps not an exact recollection, but pretty close.  I’ve been listening to this thing all weekend and I haven’t gotten close to having enough of it yet.  Perfect spring time and (eternal) summertime jams.  Easily repeatable, a lot of new things they did here – Synths!  Long songs!  Studio banter!  And even with the new stuff, every song sounded nice and tight with the guitars and drums like The Strokes always have, and as I mentioned numerous times, Julian was in top form.

As I stated, everyone loves talking about The Strokes’ past and is absolutely obsessed with ranking their albums on a graph so they can talk about the trend lines and blah blah blah blah blah so where this sits among their previous work will obviously be highly debated.  It’s probably in middle, and you can split hairs all you want, but the fact is this is a damn good album from a band that was once the biggest thing in the world, and that most people had completely written off.

– MCG

The 10 Best Albums of Quarter 1, 2020

Well shit, this year took a turn, didn’t it?  In spite of all the insanity going on in this world, the gods have seen us fit to receive a seriously ridiculous amount of new music in the first three months of 2020 that ranges from good to great to spectacular.  There are so many, in fact, that we felt simply limiting it to ten was a crime in itself, and so for the first time we’ve included a list of honorable mentions at the bottom.  That honorable mention list quickly got to be very extensive and very much out of control, so I had to go back and edit it down a bit.  I’ve been tracking and keeping up with new music on a weekly basis for about eight years now, and I don’t ever remember it being this rich and fruitful over a three month timeframe.  I hope you find something new here that you love, and that makes these hard times a little easier on you.  Bask in the glory!

 

Have We Met by Destroyer

I’ll be honest, this one was a lock on our lists the day it was announced.  Dan Bejar’s main creative outlet has long been a favorite of mine.  I’d gladly make a case for his output in the last 15 years as being the best in that timeframe.  Have We Met seemingly tangents off of his fundamental sound once more, as all Destroyer albums do, building on it and altering it slightly by utilizing the tools he’s been honing all along.  Bejar and Destroyer continue to evolve expertly, conjuring themes and atmospheres like no one else can.

– MCG

 

 

Splid by Kvelertak

Kvelertak have emerged once again as the mythical sun ship that they are. To even waste time and harp about a new singer joining the band this time around is moot, Kvelertak remain a unified vision and wrecking ball tour de force! With Splid they have stretched out and added some nuance and goth rock embellishments. Make no mistake, they will stampede you, Turbonegro you in the ballsack then rip out your heart like the dark priest in the Temple of Doom. Have you actually seen what these guys look like, imagine multiple Norwegian terminators sent from the future to rock your socks off. I hear writers say all the time that they would love to do just one thing in their life, that good ! Well, I’m gonna go one step further and say that I would just love to show up to band practice, plug in and produce a sound this batshit crazy yet tight as a virgin’s bunghole! Don’t even get me started with the music video for Crack of Doom, quite the soothsayer for the current state of affairs if you ask me!

– ApacheSlomo

 

 

The Neon Skyline by Andy Shauf

This one snuck up on me, sinking its hooks in with a great concept and smoothness that made it instantly accessible enough to enjoy multiple listens in a row.  The replay-ability with this album is off the charts, leaning on a nostalgic feeling and expertly painted scenes that are as relatable as can be.

– MCG

 

 

Flesh, Steel, Victory… by Seed of Pain

The syncopated anvil drop in of New Age of Chaos gives way to a rifle onslaught of carnage! Who the fuck is playing drums in this band, the timing is absolutely out of this world. This is music you start your car to, music to put on when you have that strong cup of coffee in your hand and you say to yourself, ok for whetever it’s worth, I’m ready to run someone over! If you’ve ever seen a cyclops smash fists with a sasquatch then you know what caliber of band I speak of. They are comprised of pure rage and highly apropos in the current climate. If I played hockey, it would be to this, the clunky start-stops beating in time with every time I dig my skates in and change direction. Make no mistake Seed of Pain are not margarita music, they are here to peel back eyes and help you see pain!

– ApacheSlomo

 

 

Every Bad by Porridge Radio

The raw energy that builds throughout and the way the lyrics are repeated and carved into my ears until they become mantras made this album a revelation for me.  I remember my first listen with headphones very vividly because I was overcome by these things.  Every Bad isn’t an album, it’s a cathartic experience that yields a new perspective on things you might not have been sure were there ruminating in your subconscious.  It’s a lighthouse for feelings you may have buried, intentional or not.  Let it guide you.

– MCG

 

 

PEARS by PEARS

I’ve just always been able to relate to these guys on some level, mostly due them hailing from New Orleans! Now more than ever we need a band like PEARS, they will shake and bake you all day long, never steering in one direction for more than a few clips at a time. For fucks sake, Dial Up references Chumbawamba and the ol’ El Macarena in the same breath. Talk about combining the classic Fat Wreck sound with a 90’s freak show extravaganza. I did a little research on this one and found that while on the previous record they went in with most of the material ready to roll, on this one they went in with fractional ideas and structures. Well, that certainly blows me away and fuels my desire to seen them live, as they have alluded me thus far! If you’re in the market for some …And Out Come the Wolves shit, some Dookie shit as well as some, How to Clean Everything shit then plug in and get destroyed!

– ApacheSlomo

 

 

WHAT THE FUCK DID WE DØ TØ THE EARTH by SØØN

Just some pedal to the fucking metal hardcore, foaming at the mouth, spewing into the air, and clawing into the ground.  This is a totally different type of cathartic experience.  This is close your eyes and swing your fucking fists like you’re trying to split the atoms in the air until you collapse music.  This is that “our-corrupt-government-was-negligent-and-failed-us-during-a-global-pandemic” type shit.  Play it fucking LOUD and fucking OFTEN.

– MCG

 

 

Eyes and Tongues by Desert Colossus

Load up the boogie van, grab your flippies and silkiest pair of trunks cause this aroma permeates all the way from Zaandam, Netherlands. Now you normally wouldn’t expect such dank desert rock from Holland but these days the strain has spread to all parts of the globe such as Italy and Sweden. What Desert Colossus meld is the likes of Kyuss, Fu Manchu with a touch of Fear. Just check out the extended super jam of The One, as it starts off in slow trucker doom territory and eventually morphs into a stoner groove that would make Brant Bjork blush. With 7 songs in 43 minutes there is no doubt you get your money’s worth with this one. So if you find yourself wanting to hop in the car for a toke break, this would be the album to burn rubber and save your soul to!

– ApacheSlomo

 

 

Snapshot of a Beginner by Nap Eyes

This one arrived at the eleventh hour of our first quarter and bumped another great album out of the top ten.  The sound itself is just about perfect for the beautiful spring weather I am experiencing here; sitting on a patio with a beer and the sun shining, with nothing to do and nowhere to go (like I have much of a choice anyway).  The lyrics, however, are sort of a juxtaposition to the sound, offering deep thoughts, silly thoughts, nonsensical thoughts, sensical thoughts, existential thoughts, etc., and the balance that Nap Eyes walks this tight rope with is skillful and precise.  The album flows like a melatonin-induced dream, intense and making no sense at all, yet still leaving you with a stark feeling when you wake up from it.

– MCG

 

South of Heaven by Fotocrime

When Coliseum broke up it cut me a little bit, mainly because they encapsulated what I love about dark rock n’ roll and they were getting better with each album. Plus, when Principle of Pain dropped in ’18 it just didn’t stick with me for some reason, I think it was the lack of Coliseum muscle. Well with the help of some dudes from Metz and Steve Albini, frontman and mastermind Ryan Patterson went out and got him that muscle. Now with South of Heaven, all the planets have aligned and we get those Depeche Mode synths with the goth rock swagger. The production is gorgeous and with headphones on, the subtle nuances reveal themselves. This beast was released at a crazy time for us and “Expulsion From Paradise” is a great way to soundtrack the uncertainty with love and hope for the future.

– ApacheSlomo

 

 

**BONUS EP**: 

Lavender by Initiate

Oh shit!  Another first!  Not only have we never included a Honorable Mentions list before, but we’ve never had a Bonus EP!  What a time to be alive, right?!  Initiate took the brutal craftsmanship they slapped us with on 2018’s Before Long… and sharpened that shit up so nice that every song is now a deathblow instead of just a maiming to leave you crippled.  On Lavender, Initiate have become both the unstoppable force AND the immovable object, reaching deep down to deliver eleven minutes of fury sure to have you clenching your fists and gritting your teeth in euphoria.

– MCG.

 

 

**Honorable Mentions**:

Hearts In Gardens by Kyle Forester
Empty Country by Empty Country
Void Moments by FACS
There Is No Year by Algiers
I Was Born Swimming by Squirrel Flower
Mercy by The Men
Collector by Disq
Swimmer by Tennis
Bloem by Fluisteraars
Uneasy Laughter by Moaning
Melee by Dogleg
Fungus II by Wasted Shirt
Love In High Demand by Too Free
Grave of a Dog by Sightless Pit
Delux by Bib
Speed Kills by Chubby and the Gang
Nothing by Ghouli
Conundrum by Hallas
Fever Dream by Mutually Assured Destruction