Shonen Bat - No Competition

Artist: Shonen Bat
Release: No Competition
Year: 2013
Shonen Bat are an emo/indie band from Malaga, Spain, but if you didn't know that you might swear they were from the American Midwest, Seattle, San Diego or Brooklyn in the 90s. This record sounds a hell of a lot like Mineral and Pinback rolled into one. Slocore-ish sensibilities, melodies that even sound a little like something from Jawbreaker's first two, all blended through the mostly clean, pluckiness--so not too far from the criminally underrated Boilermaker. I am really impressed with this record.
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Alaskan - Despair, Erosion, Loss

Artist: Alaskan
Release: Despair, Erosion, Loss
Year: 2014
I have not finished listening to this record but again, I wanted to go ahead and share it because what I am hearing so far is pretty good. The first track opens up with some strings that I thought may have been sampled from a soundtrack at first but they were arranged for this record, which returned pretty powerfully towards the end of the track. It's in a sludgey hardcore vein, but I'm not sure who exactly to compare it to. The melodic direction is not far from Cult of Luna but it's not that intentionally grandiose or melancholy and the songs do pick up in their pace a bit more. The way the strings and post-rock guitar parts come together are something to behold.
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Artist: Papayér
Release: Boo
Year: 2014
Not a whole lot that has come out this year so far has blown me away but this record was pretty neat. It kind of sounds like the slower Capn' Jazz songs. Also reminded me of Midi and the Modern Dance but if they were fronted by the guy from Foals. I like it, especially because they are pretty different from what every other emo band sounds like lately. More on the indie side but the guy can't really sing that great so he just sings really loud all the time and kind of just warbles which is super effective most of the time. One of the most interesting listens this month for sure

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Artist: Dangers
Release: Five O'Clock Shadows at the Edge of the Western World
Year: 2014
Haven't listened to this yet but I heard the title track a few weeks ago and it's damn good. I heard that this record is a lot slower than their last two records but I have no doubt it's genius. Members of Graf Orlock, Ghostlimb, Banquets, a million bands. If there was a Vitriol Records sound this would be it. You should know this band but if you don't, now is your chance cause it looks like they are back or at least more alive than they have been lately.They always did fast better than any hardcore band, so now I'm sure they will do slow better than anyone else

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Plug - Back on the Skull

Artist: Plug
Release: Back on the Skull
Year: 2013
Members of Iron Age, Mammoth Grinder, Bitter End and some others apparently just climbed out of a time machine a few years ago and immediately set about cranking loud, heavy jams inspired by what I assume were their contemporaries from before their time travel excursion. Stuff like Rollins Band, Helmet, Unsane. It's a great record, fuzzy, spacey and pulse pounding rock/punk. This was definitely one of the most interesting releases from last year, but it's likely just a side project so I wouldn't expect a whole lot of output from them. Enjoy it all the same though. Bang your head off.
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Death Pedals - The Carvery

Arist: Death Pedals
Release: The Carvery
Year: 2013 
A British Post-hardcore group in the vein of Hot Snakes or more recently Black God. It has a more raw punk rock feel than Hot Snakes. Some of the riffing is a little more "shit-kicking" too, in much the same way as Burning Love. For a more traditional hardcore comparison see Battalion of Saints or maybe under the right light Born Against.
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An Autumn For Crippled Children - Try Not to Destroy Everything You Love

Artist: An Autumn For Crippled Children
Release: Try Not to Destroy Everything You Love
Year: 2013
Super happy sounding, experimental...black metal? I guess this falls into the Transcendental Black Metal mold of Wolves In the Throne Room or Deafheaven, whereas those bands have stuck with harsher tones, this group from the Netherlands goes all out with bright, poppy synth parts and very sparse vocals. It's cool though, it doesn't go for the shrill, unlistenable experimentation of Liturgy. It also reminds me of Sigur Ros or Boris' ambient stuff, but it's not boring post-rock.
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Young Hunter - Embers at the Foot of Dark Mountain

Artist: Young Hunter
Release: Embers at the Foot of Dark Mountain
Year: 2013
Gloomy, western-ish psych rock. It's great, a good compliment to that Hawkeyes post. It's got a freak folk type feeling like Six Organs of Admittance or the country drone of Earth but with a more forward song craft. While I think it's meant to be taken kind of seriously, I think it's a fun EP. Undulating waves of fuzzy, deep guitars, psychedelic synths and locomotive drumming. Vocally it reminds me of that Nevado project Shelby Cinca from Frodus did and Damien Jurado's new record.
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Hawkeyes - Poison Slows You Down

Artist: Hawkeyes
Release: Poison Slows You Down
Year: 2013
Four guitarists but no vocals? I've listened to one 7 minute song so far but I already know I want to share it because of how heavy it is. They call themselves "space doom" it fits. If you like doom metal at all you are going to really dig this. It's monolithic and tripped out. There is not much else I can say but shit man listen to it! I'm just sitting here with it pouring into my ears, sinking lower and lower into my couch.
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Can't find a download link anywhere, so just use the bandcamp, not free download either though.

Croweater - Seasick

Artist: Croweater
Release: Seasick
Year: 2012
Woah! Hell yeah! Fast-hardcore that goes beyond d-beats and generic riffs. I mentioned early my affinity for Kill the Man Who Questions, but not a lot of bands have ever done super fast punk rock in an exciting way for me. Das Oath is another great point of reference and I really mean that. Throw in some wailing, shrieking Husker Du and Bad Brains style guitar solos and my ass is glued to the seat for these six minute. The last track is a gnarly trodding, out of tune self-destruct sequence. What happened to this band? 2 releases between 2011 and 2012 and apparently disappeared? Wish I had heard of this before.
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Ardvarck - High Hopes

Artist: Ardvarck
Release: High Hopes
Year: 2013
This came out back in July but I never heard anything about it until now, but it's a damn good EP. If you like the weird vibes of some California screamo stuff like Calculator then you should check this out. I guess it's heavy screamo for people who like weed, which, I don't care about that but it's good. I love the distortion on this record and how bass heavy it is but the vocals are still in the desperate shouting vein. I don't remember where I found this one so no download link but you can name your own price on bandcamp, go do that or just stream it at least.
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Artist: Young Lizard
Release: Demo 2013
Young Lizard are a Japanese hardcore band that takes their influences from your standard crust fare, Cursed, His Hero Is Gone but unlike a lot of American bands I've heard that try and play to that sound, they actually do it really damn well. Fast, intense, and even though the recording is pretty lo-fi, it really adds to the intensity of this demo. The recording is fuzzy, mid-rangey and there's not much clarity at all but it's not harsh. It sounds like a demo but it's a demo that gives you a good idea of what these songs really sound like.
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Artist: Drifter
Release: Seperate Graves
Year: 2013
Label: Driftwood Records
Now this is good screamo! I am listening to this as I type this but knew I wanted to put it up on this blog. Discordant and dark Screamo. Occasionally reminding me of House With a Curse by Coliseum but you know, screamo. Really nice clean guitar tones all over the record, great bass work and really fresh tunes. These songs don't sound like the same old Pianos Become the Teeth or whatever knockoffs. Caravels and Barrow might be good comparisons too.
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Artist: I Kill Giants
Release: No One Will Ever Leave You
Year: 2014
Label: Broken World Media

I Kill Giants play that math-rock, upbeat emo type stuff that everyone was ripping on a while back that really only Snowing, Grown Ups and Algernon Cadwallader were really great at. This EP also really reminds me of Dananananaykroyd. Crazy guitar parts, jumps around a lot, upbeat and pretty fun but but it doesn't go on for so long that it gets boring. The punkier parts kind of remind me of Ma Jolie's new record Polars which I really love.
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Lovechild - "In Heaven, Everything is Fine"

Artist: Lovechild
Release: "In Heaven, Everything is Fine"
Year: 2014
Label: Mayfly Records

Lovechild has members of Cerce or they were Cerce and changed their name and at least vocalists. I didn't really care for Cerce but this record is pretty good. Fast, kind of crusty hardcore. I like that the cover looks like Rush or Wire album, but it kind of sets up a different expectation that the record doesn't really deliver. I haven't fully absorbed this one but I'll bet everyone will be talking about it, and I plan to come back to it.
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