Election Day

Brian: If Rochester ever decides to bottle and distribute their water, then Evian and Poland Spring have top serious competition on their hands. Here's yet another musically accomplished act that's risen from various upstate towns, that one included. According to a friend of mine, Election Day (also based out of Syracuse and Oswego) indeed took their name from the Polar Bear Club song of the same name (well, apparently not, but I'm not going to edit this and pretend I never said it). No matter –– the similarities between the two are scarce. Election Day instead play a style of introspective, driving and dynamic hardcore that, while occasionally bearing stark similarities to Sinking Ships both musically and lyrically, seems like a unique entity of its own. With a seriously perfect punch of gang vocal usage and a weird, slight Rites of Spring flair to it all, the band's 2007 demo is top notch. Download it for free here, but if you're impatient, you can stream it at their MySpace page.

Capillary Action

Jesse: It's been a few years since I've been blown away by an album's sheer ballsiness, but I can't stop spinning Capillary Action's new album, So Embarassing Hailing from Philadelphia, PA (and many other places), the group defies definition: metal riffs give way to traditionalist free jazz, soaring melodies topple down onto absurdist freak out moments layered on top of samba beats. Phil Spector–like arrangements contrast with sludge metal. And on record, they pooled in at least fifteen people to fill out their vision – strings and horns, extra guitars and keys, upright bass and auxiliary percussion. You can check out three songs on their MySpace page as well as a slew of tour dates.

Kate Nash / Social Circkle

Brian: The Editors' Picks are a rare feature these days, so I'm bending the rules a bit and recommending two very different acts for you this weekend.

The first is Kate Nash, a 20–year–old English songstress who released the rather excellent Made of Bricks through Fiction/Polydor last year. Meg piqued my interest about her this past week with a Lily Allen comparison, and it's totally grounded (just listen to "Pumpkin Soup"). There's definitely a bit of Regina Spektor on the album as well though, where Nash expresses often bitter narratives through a multitude of arrangements involving piano, acoustics, horns and more. One particular track, "Mariella," exudes a bit of a Dresden Dolls quality too. Anyway, check out her MySpace page for a few songs.

The second is Social Circkle, a band who writes lightning–fast, excellent early `80s–styled hardcore, much like their celebrated contemporaries Career Suicide. Just listen to "Canned Response" and tell me that's not the best thing you've heard in months. It's from their new 7", I've Got Afflictions, set to drop this coming Tuesday via No Way Records. (If you're aching for more, check out an MP3 from their 2007 7", Static Eyes, or download their 8–song demo for free.)

Sakes Alive!!, The Epidemic

Brian: Maybe Rochester is the new Long Island. In recent years it seems like the city is effortlessly churning out a diverse array of emotional, hard, and/or heavy musical acts that write great songs right out of the gate. Take Sakes Alive!! and their three–song demo, "Presents", for example. Considering these are the first songs they've ever laid to tape (I'm pretty sure)…damn. In fact, one guy, Chris Vandeviver, is responsible for every charred chord, slammed drumfill and whiskey–tinged vocal line on the demo. And even though he was apparently let down by Crime in Stereo's Is Dead, I guess we can let it slide. We actually just posted a review of "Presents", and it recommended them to fans of Challenger and Hüsker Dü; I'd say that's pretty accurate, but if you generally like gravelly–sung punk rock played with a ton of emotion and intensity, check it out. You can also message them for a free physical copy of "Presents" as well.

Aubin: I'll be honest, I've got quite a soft spot for the oft maligned but usually fun genre of "horror punk." Between the twisted Grease–inspired outfits, gory lyrics and classic rock and roll base, there isn't much to find fault with in The Epidemic. The band just released the very tight, very fast Quarantine Days on Robot Monster and fans of everyone from Chuck Berry to The Independents will find something great here. You can check out a bunch of songs from the album on their myspace page.

Rain

Brian: Not to be confused with a Japanese instrumental rock act of the same name, Rain was a short–lived follower of the Revolution Summer of hardcore in the late 1980s. After a mere two recording sessions, the band would eventually release the La Vache Qui Rit 12" EP via Guy Piciotto's Peterbilt label in 1990. But one listen to any of the band's affected, pitch–perfect, wandering narratives and it's clear that their inspiration doesn't need to be spelled out. Perhaps due to their late arrival on the scene, or bare discography, Rain has never quite gotten the accolades their pioneers (Rites of Spring, Embrace) or peers (Moss Icon, Gray Matter) have gotten, and that's a pity. Luckily, Dischord recently reissued the EP on compact disc format, with all the tracks remastered. The best one, "Rivers," can be found streaming at the release info page, but be assured, the whole, specially handmade disc is solid. Members of Rain went onto form a plethora of acts, by the by, the most notable being Girls Against Boys.

Hostage Calm

Brian: We posted this a while back, but I figured it's good enough to warrant another mention. Connecticut's Hostage Calm released a pretty great four–song demo a few months ago. The band feature just about all of the short–lived At All Costs –– the horn–laden late `80s youth crew–style band, not At All Cost, the weird Texas vocoder–laden metalcore band –– and change it up a bit from their former act, with a more melodic, Dag Nasty–minded approach and light but somewhat Quicksand–esque guitar crunch. You can stream the demo at their above–linked MySpace page, or download the entire thing in a higher quality for free via MediaFire.

Endgame

Brian: The upcoming EP from Bloomfield, New Jersey's Endgame is pretty, prettay, prettayyy good. Imagine the melodic, emotional drive of Garden State predecessors like Lifetime and late–era Turning Point spun with a modern pop–punk twist. Set to drop in February 2008, Distracted is a major improvement over the band's past releases, like last year's split EP with Movement. I'm particularly fond of "Peace of Mind," which pretty much got me through a monotonous Black Friday retail shift –– check it out on the band's MySpace page.

Dave House (The Steal) / Junius / Crosstown Rivals

Justin: Dave House of the promising young UK hardcore outfit the Steal has posted his two solo outings for streaming on his MySpace page. The albums are titled See That No One Else Escapes and Kingston's Current. The albums are available from Banquet Records and are self described as being in the vein of Billy Bragg, the Weakerthans and Death Cab for Cutie. It's hard to argue against that description. The title track from Kingston's Current features an instant sing–a–long while the track "In This Machine" bursts forth with an electronic backdrop straight from the Postal Service's cutting room floor. There's yet to be a US release, but with two solid albums under his belt I can't imagine it will be long.

Brian: To be quite honest, I wasn't huge on Junius's Blood Is Bright EP when first receiving it close to two years ago. However, with the band beginning to heavily eschew the new wave / post–punk textures that resulted in so many comparisons to the Cure and Joy Division, the band straight blew me away opening for frequent tourmates Circle Takes the Square this past week in Brooklyn. Think Jupiter–era Cave In, but more atmospheric and dissonant and with a lesser reliance upon guttural screams, tempered with the band's earlier influences. Check out some music from a compilation of their first two EPs as well as their recently released 7", the epic The Fires of Anteiluvia.

Ben: Crosstown Rivals have been a part of east coast Canada's punk scene for a number of years. Tonight the band will be playing their last show in Fredericton, New Brunswick. While they didn't ever break through into the national spotlight, they did offer themselves as a fairly consistent act in a town that hasn't always drawn touring acts. They played simple pop punk, and while that may no longer be where current tastes lie, it's always nice to fall back on. Check out 'Wellington St.' on the bands MySpace page.

Sidekicks, 500 Miles to Memphis

Justin: Sadly between a full–time job, writing news, eating and sleeping we don't always get to hear each of the bands we post about in the New Music Roundups that we post. I took the time to check out Sidekicks and was pleasantly surprised. Upbeat, melodic punk rock that's kinda jangly with some pretty obvious singalongs and raspy vocals a'plenty. The first track on their MySpace "Slight Sting" is probably the most standout track they have posted – you can tell where the crowd's going to get into it already. I think they'd fit in great with the current revival of fun punk rock that's not vapid but also isn't entirely depressing. Imagine them on a bill with Nothington, Off With Their Heads and Dead To Me and you'd have an amazing show.

Sidekicks on MySpace Ben: With summer coming to a close, it's almost time to put away those sunshine jams and break out music to me through another Canadian winter. 500 Miles to Memphis, named after the distance from the band's hometown to Graceland is the perfect band to help us through that transition. sunshine in a Shot Glass, released in June through Deep Elm goes just as well with an open window drive through the country as it does with a glass of stout by the wood stove. The band's combination of punk grit and attitude combined with country–staples such as a vocal drawl and tales of remorse make the band appeal to

Deny Everything / Cloak/Dagger

Brian: HOLY SHIT STOP THE PRESSES BRIAN'S RECOMMENDING A BAND THAT SOUNDS LIKE KID DYNAMITE. Really though, say "Hi" to Deny Everything, listen to them and fall in love, and then book your plane tickets to Germany so you can actually see them live.

Aubin: I still miss the Hot Snakes but if anything, Cloak/Dagger does help soften the blow. While it's made up of a lot of bands that would never be confused for that Swami act, including Give Up the Ghost and Striking Distance, Cloak/Dagger plays punk rock in the tradition of those rock'n'roll hooligans and quite well, I might add. They've got a new record coming out on Jade Tree very soon, it's called We Are and is due out September 11, 2007. I suggest you check out some music on their MySpace page and then snap up a copy of the album when it drops.

Halfway to Hell Club / The Sadies

Brian: Here's one of Long Island's freshest faces playing seriously fresh tunes. Halfway to Hell Club takes the best of gruff yet melodic post-hardcore (Hot Water Music, Embrace) to write potent, affecting material. Stream "Kitchen Window" at the band's MySpace page. It's from their debut EP, Knowledge Is a Curse, which should be self-released eventually.

Adam: While I've gotten very good at justifying the inclusion of off-genre bands in our news coverage, I'll concede this time and keep my personal preferences here in the safe confines of the Editors Picks. If you've followed the Canadian independent music scene at all (or spun a recent Neko Case record) then you know all about alt-country / garage / indie / surf / vintage rock act the Sadies. The band's following up last year's incredible double live album and 2004's stellar Favourite Colours with a new record this fall titled New Seasons. It hits on September 18th in Canada via Outside Music and later on October 2nd in the US via Yep Roc. The latter label has the entire new record streaming online now.

The Gusto

The Gusto are an-up-and-coming pop-punk outfit based out of Madison, WI. What separates them from the rest of the pack is the tightness and technical proficiency you'd find in a veteran group, yet these guys have only been together for a little over a year. The band recently cut a demo and has been touring across the midwest and east coast, unquestionably gaining new fans and impressing anyone lucky enough to catch their set. Check out their music online, but if they come anywhere near you, I highly suggest checking out their live show…trust me.

The Gusto - "Carry On"