Casual Burn
Mean Thing
HANDSTAND RECORDS (2019)
Imagine that your favorite modern hardcore band hopped into Doc Brown’s DeLorean and ended up in 1982. Upon arriving, they decided to start over and carry their same ferocious messages with the spirit of New Wave music percolating the airwaves at the time. Does that sound appealing? Then you’ll love Casual Burn’s most recent release, Mean Thing.The band has a wide array … Read more
Cellar Doors
Cellar Doors
Hear Here (2019)
The distance between San Francisco and Manchester is 5,000 miles, but Californian psychedelic trio Cellar Doors are determined to bridge that distance on their self-titled debut album. The band is already making waves across the Atlantic, having caught the attention of ex-Smiths drummer Mike Joyce and enlisting Inspiral Carpets frontman Stephen Holt as their manager, and their album sounds as though it's been … Read more
Ceremony
In the Spirit World Now
Relapse (2019)
It’s fun to introduce old Ceremony to their new fans and hear comments like, “Wow, that guy must’ve worked out his anger issues”. It’s true that Ross Farrar’s lyrics have recently favored elegant introspection over spiteful threats to fight society with hate-packed fists, or to strangle it, or to curb stomp it, or to watch it burn to the fucking … Read more
Charger
Charger
Pirates Press (2019)
The debut from Charger finds that gray area between punk and metal that’s hard to pigeonhole to a specific genre. You’ll see more than one Motorhead reference in this review, which is both a good place to start and a pretty good complement.Motorhead is really what comes to mind on a play-through of this ripper: just 7 songs over 19 minutes. Even … Read more
Cherry Glazerr
Stuffed & Ready
Secretly Canadian (2019)
Stuffed & Ready is the third album released by LA band Cherry Glazerr. It’s surprising this is their third album and it’s taken me this long to notice them, but regardless, my timing feels perfect. With an album name like Stuffed & Ready, it’s hard to ignore the boldness of the band. Lead vocalist Clementine Creevy has a dream-like quality to her … Read more
CJ Ramone
The Holy Spell
Fat Wreck Chords (2019)
As of August 6th, it’s been 23 long, languid year’s since The Ramones played their final show. Since then, all the original members - Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee and Tommy have been called home. Richie and Marky continue to carry the flag, but it’s CJ that’s been keeping the Ramones spirit alive and well through the past two decades. Whether … Read more
Coathangers
The Devil You Know
Suicide Squeeze (2019)
Much of what I listen to on the regular is of the three-chord punk variety. While I want the bands in that field to switch up their sound, to develop and grow, the differences are usually pretty subtle in that world. The Coathangers, though, are something else and for some reason I’m always surprised when I put on each new … Read more
Crypt Sermon
The Ruins of Fading Light
Dark Descent Records (2019)
The evolution of a band is something that most of us can comprehend through their musical output and live appearances and where most bands evolve quite publicly, there are some that build on their creations behind the scenes and the fruits of their labour are only heard when new music is released. Crypt Sermon are one such band, who came … Read more
Cult of Luna
A Dawn to Fear
Metal Blade (2019)
There is something incredibly special about Cult of Luna - no other band can touch their ability to meld weight with melancholy or aggression with melody - and the Swedish band has created many such beautiful moments on their eighth full-length (seven as Cult of Luna and one collaboration) since their inception over two decades ago. A Dawn to Fear is a … Read more
Cunts
Cunts
Ipecac (2019)
Calling your band “Cunts” and releasing some sort of grindcore or blackened death album wouldn’t really be a big shocker. It wouldn’t take a whole lot of balls or thought to do. But calling your band Cunts and releasing a more-melodic-than-extreme hardcore album complete with a Tom Waits cover takes a little bit more ingenuity.Comprised of Retox twinsies Michael Crain … Read more
Dead Bars
Regulars
A-F (2019)
Dead Bars are one of those bands that’s somehow both fun and super depressing. The lyricism is what you’ll normally read about with this band – and for good reason – but it’s all around fun-yet-meaningful punk that fits different moods and brings out different emotions depending on when you listen to it.The band released a few 7”s before 2017’s … Read more
Dear Boy
The Strawberry EP
Easy Hell (2019)
Los Angeles quartet Dear Boy are firm favourites in their hometown's indie scene, but their new EP suggests that they could go much further. Dear Boy is fronted by Ben Grey, formerly of indie darlings Scarlet Grey, with guitarist Austin Hayman, bassist Lucy Lawrence and drummer Keith Cooper completing the line-up. The band has been together since 2012 and they released their Parts … Read more
DIÄT
Positive Disintegration
Iron Lung (2019)
Positive Disintegration is an ideal name for this album, the follow-up to Positive Energy, which DIÄT released in 2015. The record is dreary post-punk with a lot of repetition and monotone vocals that carry a beaten-down-by-the-world-but-the-show-must-go-on vibe. “We,” starts things on this path, but as the record progresses that exasperation turns to a call for action at times.The very next song, “Foreign … Read more
Dinosaur Pile-up
Celebrity Mansions
Parlophone (2019)
Celebrity Mansions, the fourth album by the UK’s Dinosaur Pile-Up, has been like finding a needle in a haystack for me. I’m not good at looking for new music and I feel that it gets harder as I find more grey in my beard, especially finding music that is actually good and/or listenable. Maybe my standards are getting too high? … Read more
Drei Affen
Seguimos Ciegxs
PIFIA RECORDS/THROUGH LOVE REC/LEFT HAND LABEL/ZEGEMA BEACH (2019)
Some bands really know how to unite. Drei Affen is one of those bands. They make a sport out of uniting labels on their releases. No less than 17 labels came together to release their debut self-titled EP and 12 labels were involved with the split with Coma Regalia. With only four labels involved in the release of second EP Seguimos … Read more
Drunktank
Return Of The Infamous Four
Morning Wood Records (2019)
It has been nine years since their début album, The Infamous Four. That’s a long time. Long enough to call this a come-back, I would say. I assume the band thinks so too, calling this second album Return Of The Infamous Four. Even though it has been almost ten years the characters on the cover have not aged one bit. I understand … Read more
Earth Mother Fucker
I Fuck Therefore I Am
Antigen Records (2019)
Calling your band Earth Mother Fucker is a statement in and of itself, and having the audacity to go for such an aggressive sounding moniker should stand a project in good stead for the coming years. Should. For this wildly named band, the lights of the stage were few and far between and despite existing for just over a decade, … Read more
ESC Life
Born To Be Mild
PDV Records/Last Exit Music/Ill In The Head Records/Bartolini Records (2019)
When I received the promo for Born To Be Mild the first thing that struck me was the artwork. It matched with the (previously discussed) EP, but not at all with their previous, debut album, Access All Areas. What I like about the artwork of Access All Areas is the dreamy, relaxed atmosphere that oozes from the picture. The artwork of Born To Be Mild has … Read more
