Jim Gies (Hip Kid Records)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2016? (In order 1-5)
In no particular order and not counting demos:
- Warthog - Warthog 7"
- Darkthrone - Arctic Thunder
- Animal Lover - Stay Alive
- Spit-take - Frog Rock
- Dark Thoughts - Dark Thoughts
Runner up would be Witch in Her Tomb - Meditations LP which only didn't make the list because it's technically a collection, not a proper album.
2. What band did you discover in 2016 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
One of my favorite new bands of the year is Chew from Chicago. Their demo is really great and since hearing it I've seen them live a bunch. They've been cemented as one of the best hardcore punk bands going for me and I'm stoked for my band Rash to do a split with them.
3. How will you remember 2016? (In terms of music)
I'll remember it as the year I got to tour Japan and see some of the best Japanese punk bands around like Thirsty Chords, Turncoat, Navel, and Big City, among many others.
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2017?
I'll be releasing the Liquids - Hot Liqs LP with Not Normal Tapes, as well as doing US releases of Thirsty Chords material. As for playing music, a new Rash 7" is in production and I hope to record new Gidim material. 2017 will also see the release of a tape by the black metal project I do with Simon from Cracked Vessel entitled Mycelium Cloak.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2017?
I'm looking forward to a 7" from The Bug, new material from Uranium Club, Woe, Cracked Vessel, Chew, and tons of stuff I've yet to discover or am forgetting right now.
6. What would you like to see more of when it comes to music coverage websites (such as ours)?
I'd love to see more long form interviews/reviews that spend a lot of time digging deeply and thinking critically about independent music and artists.
