The JonBenét / FemBots / Walking Concert

Brian: Houston, Texas's The JonBenét may owe a lot of their spazzy, frantic hardcore sound to The Blood Brothers and screamo legends of the past, but frankly, I really can't complain. The band changes pace and tempo on the drop of a dime, either hyperactively strumming their guitars to the point of total amp raping or abruptly dancing along crescending chord progressions and dizzy bass lines. Check out these three tracks from their Five Stories Retold EP, self-released this past June:
The JonBenét - Stolen Home, Stolen Home
The JonBenét - Eleventh Century Folklore
The JonBenét - Trophy Wives Adam: The rootsy Toronto-based FemBots have been in the news recently due to their increasing integration into the Weakerthans family. Not only have Brian Poirier and Dave MacKinnon played acoustic guitar and keyboards for that band on this year's Airfields And Woodlands tour, but Weakerthans drummer Jason Tait has been behind the kit for the FemBots for a few years now. They put on a really engaging performance when I saw them earlier this month with the Constantines as part of said tour. This is the title track to 2003's much celebrated Small Town Murder Scene:
FemBots - Small Town Murder Scene
More info is available from Paper Bag Records.

Scott: I worship at the Temple Of Walter. Come join me. Walter Schreifels' new band, Walking Concert, is not only the brainchild of the former Quicksand/Rival Schools frontman, it features the guitarist of the criminally underrated J. Majesty as well as the drummer of Into Another. Their quirky, concise pop songs are the stuff dreams are made of:
Walking Concert - What's Your New Thing? Walking Concert - Hands Up!
These songs are taken from Run To Be Born, Walking Concert's debut album on Some Records.

Dillinger Four / The Baseball Furies / This Providence

Scott: I just got home from seeing Dillinger Four reign supreme over Cleveland. This band is easily one of the top 10 no-frills punk bands in the US today. Odds are, you've already heard this MP3 a thousand times before, and many of you probably own Situationist Comedy, the album from whence it came (courtesy of Fat Wreck Chords); but there's nothing wrong with another listen. Plus, if you've somehow avoided hearing the monster that is D4 before now, there's virtually no better song to start with. Prepare to get rocked.
Dillinger Four - NOBLE STABBINGS!! Adam: Buffalo's Baseball Furies have a new record coming out this fall on Big Neck Records titled Let It Be. It was set to be pressed in September, so look for it soon. While there are no tunes from it online just yet, here's an great oldie from 2002's Greater Than Ever that's a great example of the Furies' fast, angry punk rock:
The Baseball Furies - Arch Enemy Brian: Seattle's This Providence makes catchy pop-rock laced thinly with hints of creativity. It's nothing mindblowingly new, but the band knows how to create a hook and stick you like a needle with it, and their sound has splashes of potential written all over it. This cut comes from their full-length debut Our Worlds Divorce, out November 16th on Rocketstar Recordings.
This Providence - Truth And Reconciliation

The Ends / The Methadones / The Esoteric / Ted Leo/Pharmacists

Adam: This coming Tuesday Dirtnap Records will release the second full length from Austin, TX's The Ends. I'm in love with everything I've heard from this album, so I don't feel any shame quoting you some press-release hyperbole: "Guitar riffs sneak up, choke you, then give you a kiss. Bass lines sweep your legs from under you. Vocals snot and croon. It's rough and sexy stuff that you can dance to with a beer held high… It's mid-tempo, ultra catchy, intelligent, boisterous punk rock that sounds as great as it did when a needle touched the first piece of punk rock back in the late '70s." Indeed, it also rocks the piano like nobody's business. Check this out:
The Ends - Pucker Up Brian: The upcoming Methadones album, based loosely on the movie "Falling Down", also happens to be a surprisingly pleasant mix of classic punk and the mature side of early 90s Lookout! pop. While I've never given full spins of their first two full-lengths, Not Economically Viable still sounds like it could be the band's best work yet. Thick drops the record November 15th, but you can check out the first track now:
The Methadones - Bored Of Television Aubin: When we posted that The Esoteric had signed to Prosthetic earlier this week, I got the impression that few of you were familiar with their brand of mathy, progressive hardcore. This particularly strong track from their excellent EP A Reason to Breathe is a perfect demonstration of their unique, genre bending sound.
The Esoteric - Strategy of Luck Scott: Ted Leo's the motherfucking man. Shake The Sheets is better than Hearts Of Oak [review]. If you haven't downloaded this song yet, you're a fruitcake, but just in case, here's the link once more:
Ted Leo/Pharmacists - Me And Mia

No Trigger

Brian: While I'd love to blow this post up with a bunch of unnecessary hyperbole or even take a cue from the Scott Heisel School of Hype and say something like "NO TRIGGER IS THE BEST UNSIGNED BAND IN AMERICA" (although they're pretty close), I'll simply tell you that the three songs they contribute to their split with Wasteland [review coming soon] are downright fantastic bits of melodic hardcore. It also proves they've grown admirably quickly beyond their Strike Anywhere-tribute days of yore (okay,so that was a year or two ago). And hell, this is a great song, but easily the worst of the three. Still…
No Trigger - What We Became

This Is Hell / Project 86 / Controller.Controller

Brian: The departure of hardcore act Scraps And Heart Attacks's lead singer Travis Reilly finds him now fronting the recently formed This Is Hell. The Long Island collaboration, who also contains practically the cast of The Backup Plan, puts forth a dark, raucous six minutes of introvert-based hardcore on their self-titled demo that sounds like a tighter, more focused version of Scraps while keeping that searing sense and scratchy strut intact.
This Is Hell - Double Grave This Is Hell - Dearest Midge This is Hell's self-titled debut 7" will be released on Run For Cover Records Scott: It really bummed me out to hear that Project 86 had their gear stolen earlier this week. The band's new album, Songs To Burn Your Bridges By [review], came out back in June courtesy of Tooth & Nail, and while running a little bit long, is still an awesome hardcore/rock disc in the vein of Snapcase, Quicksand and Deftones. The album's best track, as well as the album's decidedly radio-friendly track, are both posted on Purevolume. Check them out here:
Project 86 - Spy Hunter
Project 86 - A Shadow On Me Adam: Toronto's Controller.Controller are the buzz band du jour up here in Canuckistan. The five piece sound a bit like a young Chrissy Hynde fronting Public Image Ltd, so while their sound is most certainly in the ever-so-trendy dancepunk vein Nirmala Basnayake's vocals set it apart. The band is currently supporting their debut 6 song EP History, released earlier this year on Paper Bag Records. Here's a few of those tracks:
Controller.Controller - Watch Controller.Controller - Silent Seven
You can stream the record from New Music Canada

Cult Of Luna / Nasum / Circa Survive

Scott: Attention, all who worship at the feet of Hydra Head Records: Cult Of Luna do the slow, powerful, ebb-and-flow metal thing better than 99% of their roster. This shit will knock you on your ass and have you aching for more. Here's a track off their new album, Salvation, out October 19 via Earache:
Cult Of Luna - Leave Me Here Aubin: Apparently, people call bands like Nasum grindcore. What that is supposed to mean is that the band plays really, really, really fast and probably listens to a lot of Napalm Death. Regardless, this track comes from their upcoming record Shift, due out on Relapse in North America and Burning Heart everywhere else. It's pretty short, so I included something from their previous record Helvete as well.
Nasum - The Engine of Death Nasum - Doombringer Brian: Featuring former Saosin vocalist Anthony Green with ex-members of the now-defunct This Day Forward, Circa Survive won't make it to the release date of their Equal Vision debut - set for a release in spring 2005 - without having accumulated at least a bit of hype. While it's safe to say that most will dismiss them as another misguided post-hardcore act, there's a lot more going on in their sound that pulls my interest in. This is taken from Equal Vision's summer sampler.
Circa Survive - Handshakes At Sunrise

Milemarker / Isis / The Lido Venice

Scott: The beauty of an iPod [especially a free one; and don't forget free flat screen TVs!] is hitting the shuffle button and re-discovering some amazing tunes. Take, for example, this sweet jam from Milemarker. This song is taken from their 1998 Lovitt release Frigid Forms Sell, later re-released by Jade Tree. It's before the band went on their operatic speedbump with Anaesthetic or their plain ol' bland speedbump with Satanic Versus. What you have here is a killer rock song, plain and simple. I can't even begin to count the number of bands nowadays who rip this style off:
Milemarker - Sex Jam 2: Insect Incest Aubin: Isis is definitely unlike anything else. They certainly start from the same place as Neurosis, with a focus on progressive post-hardcore, but their emphasis on sweeping, expansive songwriting and hypnotic melodies is unparalleled. They have a new record, Panopticon, which is due out this October, but this track comes from their epic Oceanic:
Isis - False Light Brian: A couple of you, if that, may remember me gushing about The Lido Venice after seeing the decidedly indie rock outfit play an otherwise hardcore fest in a Norton, Massachusetts gymansium back in late February. Well, in April [give or take], the band signed with ECA Records and released the Songs Written Around The Campfire In The Belly Of A Whale EP shortly thereafter [review coming soon]. Named after a popular New England speakeasy that flourished during Prohibition, the band's raw, Cursive-like/Saddle Creek-influenced sound carries so much potential it sickens me. Checking it out now means you can say you hated The Lido Venice before it was cool to.
The Lido Venice - Dig Those Heels The Lido Venice - Dancing Our Duress

The Spades / The New Breed / The Honorary Title

Adam: Go Kart Records recently released the full length Learnin' The Hard Way from Eindhoven, Holland band The Spades. It has a really sleazy, fast dirty rock'n'roll vibe. Something like Motorhead fronted by Dicky Barrett with a Nation Of Islam worldview. I'm not quite sure what that means but it's pretty rockin' stuff.
The Spades - Who Da Man?
You can find more info at Go Kart or the band's website.

Adam [2]: Halifax based The New Breed are releasing their sophomore record on Thorp Records in October. You can check out our review of the band's previous record Port City Rebels now. Here the first track made available by the label:
The New Breed - The Smoking Gun
For more info, hit up Thorp or the band's website.

Brian: I caught Doghouse duo The Honorary Title last night opening the Nightmare of You gig on Long Island, and their relatively mellow, Weakerthans-esque almost-folky rock with two scoops of melancholy impressed me. I picked up their recently released debut full-length Anything Else But The Truth that night, and continue to be impressed by what critics are liberally comparing to the late Jeff Buckley.
The Honorary Title - Bridge And Tunnel
See the band or label's official website for more info.

Muse / Burnthe8track

Scott: There's a reason the new Muse record, Absolution, has been on virtually every band's and critic's "what I'm listening to" list this year thus far; it's because this record is the best record of 2004 thus far, hands down. Many thanks to Kevin Wade for opening my eyes to this unbelievably talented English trio. It's so hard to pick a favorite song off the record, but here's definitely one of the better ones. There must be something in naming your song "Stockholm Syndrome" that guarantees it's going to destroy:
Muse - Stockholm Syndrome
For more info on Muse, go to Muse.mu. And please, Warner Bros. Records, don't sue me for posting this. I'm just trying to help.

Adam: Burnthe8track are a four piece from Winnipeg, Manitoba. The band recently released their debut full length The Ocean on Abacus Recordings, from which the track "Two Worlds Apart" comes. It's really energetic, dynamic punk rock, decidedly modern but not suffering from the usual weaknesses of the "new-school" class.
Burnthe8track - Two Worlds Apart
You can find out more at Abacus Recordings or the band's website.

The Velvet Teen / Mastodon / Bedouin Soundclash

Scott: I don't get how people can't be moved by music this compelling and beautiful. Here's two tracks off The Velvet Teen's new album, Elysium [review]:
The Velvet Teen - A Captive Audience The Velvet Teen - Forlorn
For more info on The Velvet Teen, go to TheVelvetTeen.com or Slowdance.com.

Aubin: In what will likely be a pretty sharp contrast to Scott's selection, I've picked a track from the upcoming record Leviathan from Mastodon; it's hard to really put my finger on the genre this band plays, but it certainly straddles hardcore, hard rock and there is certainly a tech-metal influence as well. It's probably a little different than what you're normally into - I felt the same way - but it's quite intruiging and worth a listen.
Mastodon - Blood and Thunder Adam: …and in sharp contrast to both of the above… Bedouin Soundclash put on one of the best performances at the Toronto Warped tour date. I was lucky enough to catch their set from the side of the stage and it was incredible to see their crowd of curious onlookers grow larger and larger as time went on. The band's soulful dub / reggae had many a punker dancing and singing along. As the Kingston Ontario band wrapped up their set, tour head (and closet Bedouin fanatic) Kevin Lyman strolled onto stage and asked them to keep playing to the delight of the crowd. Here's the single from their latest full length Sounding A Mosaic [review], recorded with Darryl Jennifer of Bad Brains:
Bedouin Soundclash - When The Night Feels My Song

The Zutons / Old Man Gloom

Scott: Before Thursday, I had never heard of The Zutons. After Thursday, when their debut record Who Killed… landed on my desk, I'll never forget them. This record is flat-out amazing rock and roll music. Very dirty and gritty, ala an English version of the Constantines. Their record is already out in England, and will see a release on this side of the pond October 19, courtesy of Epic. Here's my favorite track off the record, "Pressure Point." Note the impeccable use of a saxophone:
The Zutons - Pressure Point
For more info on the Zutons, go to TheZutons.co.uk or TheZutonsUSA.com.

Aubin: Ok, this band has people from Isis, Cave In, and Converge and it sounds a little bit like each of them, but then again, it really doesn't. Their upcoming Tortuga Recordings release Christmas, features thirteen tracks which revolve around a combination of fast, brutal tracks, interspersed with dark, droning interludes. On the other hand, it's possible that the fast angry tunes are the interludes and the ambient bits are the band. I suppose it's both, or possibly neither.
Old Man Gloom - Skullstorm

Detonations

The Alive / Disaster / BOMP camp has released some very cool records this year and Detonations' Static Vision is one of my favourites. Detonations are a three piece from New Orleans featuring Julien Fried and John Henry from Sex Hunter and Keith from The Drags. There's no bassist in the band, with Henry covering the low end with a "Fender Tele with bass strings hooked into a bi-amp system, splitting the bass and guitar tones." These recordings are from a session with Jerry Teel (Boss Hogg, Yeah Yeah Yeahs):
Detonations - Feel It Detonations - Speakereater