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200 Words Or Less

Fired Up

When the Lights Go Out
Youngblood (2007)

Recently Youngblood Records expanded their roster by adding the metallic Iron Age and the Bad Brains influenced Lion of Judah but got back to what they are famous for by signing Fired Up. Connecticut's Fired Up is what I come to expect from Youngblood: fast, '88 influenced, positive hardcore with sweet breakdowns. Sure you know what you are going to … Read more

200 Words Or Less

The Draft

Stop Wastin' My Time/Up All Night
No Idea (2007)

As much as I have been disappointed with most of The Draft's output I really like this two song platter. "Stop Wastin' My Time" recalls mid-period Hot Water Music mixed with any number of rocking Springsteen hits. The B side "Up All Night" has a bouncy rhythm and almost as catchy as the A Side. This 7" is what all … Read more

200 Words Or Less

The Draft

The Draft
Epitaph (2007)

This self-titled EP from The Draft, a digital-only affair (No Idea also released two 7"s with the songs on them), is four songs that are leftovers from last year's In a Million Pieces, so if you didn't like the full-length, you won't like this, and if you did like it, you'll like this. Pretty simple. The first song, "Stop Wastin' … Read more

200 Words Or Less

The Wrongmen

Den Of Vipers
Action Man (2006)

Riffs that are spastic, heavy, hard and fast. Vocals that are poetic, poignant, and political despite being throaty and guttural. Fifty seconds songs comprised of blast beats and all kinds of guitar "wankery" alongside ambient twelve minutes epics that are perfect to get "lifted" to. Abstract cover art that's overtly cryptic, yet at the same time explicitly bad ass. Looking … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Tel Aviv

Underwaters
Max Recordings (2007)

Okay this will be hard, but just try and stay with me here. Imagine this: Franz Ferdinand crossed with Radiohead. I know; it's crazy, but a few listens to the latest EP from Tel Aviv and I think you'll find it hard to argue. Imagine a kind of new wave influenced rock that you'd probably be ashamed to tell your … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Gifts From Enola

Local Eyes Betrayed the Mind
Independent (2007)

It's been almost ten years since Mogwai released their now classic debut Young Team and still countless younger bands are trying to emulate that almost entirely instrumental, post-everything sound that relies just as heavy on ambient noises as it does on actual musicianship. I give praises to Gifts From Enola for actually creating a disc that shows some promise of … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Blutch

Materia
At A Loss (2007)

It's pretty easy to play in a doom/black/death metal band: depending on the style either play extremely fast or extremely slow, and, again depending on style, make your recordings sound like they were either recorded inside a garbage can or in a muddy swamp. Because of this, it also makes to be easy to mediocre playing in such a genre. … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Rob Crow

Living Well
Temporary Residence (2007)

Rob Crow is everywhere. Just the sheer amount of the bands he has been in could take up the word quota for this review. To sum it up though he has been in such bands as Heavy Vegetable, Ladies, Goblin Cock, and most notably Pinback. This disc takes a lot from Pinback and even has resemblances to Pinback's 1999 debut … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Small Sails

Similar Anniversaries
Other Electricites (2007)

Hailing from Portland, Oregon, Small Sails are here to put you in a seriously great mood. Formerly known as Adelaide, this once cinematic instrumental band decided to add some vocals as an instrument and completely leave words out of the equation. "Ooohs" and "Ahhhhs" litter the album as the band traverses through ten tracks and sees them play everything from … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Creeping Weeds

We Are All Part Of A Dream You Are Having
Hot Horse (2007)

There are some bands that are just the sum of their influences and nothing more. These bands trade off their name dropping and ability to sound like their favourite bands but at the same time do nothing of any real originality. These bands seem to just be happy to follow in the footsteps of the bands before them and not … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Aoria

I Know You Came Here to Erase Me
Independent (2007)

It's been a year since I first reviewed material from this Swedish rock group. Well Aoria are back with a new two-song EP. While the previous demo had more a new-wave meets rock aspect to it, these two songs tread different water. "A Slow Moving Storm" is just that - a slower moving track that seems to draw an awful … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Off Balance

Demo
Independent (2006)

Whoa! It's like I hit a time warp and traveled back to the early years of the NYHC scene. But I didn't. Off Balance hail from Indianapolis and they're out and about playing gigs right now. This demo is seven tracks of throwback hardcore that draws heavily from bands like Sheer Terror and Killing Time. I found it interesting that … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Restrained

You Have Nothing to Lose but Your Chains
Glory Kid (2007)

A demo tape - heck yeah! It's been quite a while since I've seen one of these. Restrained blast through seven songs - one an intro - in just under ten minutes. The tracks contained here are quite reminiscent of the His Hero is Gone/Tragedy school of punk. The songs are gritty and fast; the vocals are coarse and yelled … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Souvenir's Young America

September Songs
The Perpetual Motion Machine (2006)

Originally released as a limited run of 100 cassettes, Perpetual Motion Machine has decided to repress a small number of September Songs in preparation for Souvenir's Young America's upcoming tour with Aughra. If you missed your opportunity the first time, don't miss out on it again. Souvenir's Young America has been slowly but surely making waves in the instrumental rock … Read more

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