Review / 200 Words Or Less
Brainworms / Tubers
Split

Dead Tank (2008) Michael

Brainworms / Tubers – Split cover artwork
Brainworms / Tubers – Split — Dead Tank, 2008

Brainworms continue their progression with each release. With numerous recordings under their belts by now, the band has finally come to a point where they're finding their own identity. The band offers up "Jay's Big Date," equal parts punk ethos and indie rock, comparable at times to that of Minus the Bear's work on Menos el Oso. They follow it up with a cover of Rites of Spring's "For Want Of," which they do quite well.

Tubers call St. Augustine, FL home. The band's sound is comparable to angular indie rock and folk-punk groups like Against Me! And This Bike is a Pipe Bomb, but a lot worse. I can't say I enjoyed them at all. They cover The Lemonheads too, I didn't enjoy that either. Sorry guys!

4.5 / 10Michael • October 1, 2008

Brainworms / Tubers – Split cover artwork
Brainworms / Tubers – Split — Dead Tank, 2008

Recently-posted album reviews

Lethal Limits

Elevate EP
GhettoBlaster Productions (2025)

As far as I can gather Jeff Corso has been playing in bands in the Bay Area for the past 20 years but seems like exclusively hardcore until now. Full disclosure: I’m only reviewing this because Aesop from Hickey plays drums. That said, I generally only review stuff I like, so go figure. This doesn’t sound like Hickey but since … Read more

Dealbreaker

New Sides
Late Again Records, Toll Free Records (2026)

Dealbreaker popped onto my radar as part of a package tour with Pro Wrestling, who cold called me with a Penske File namedrop. This story is a bit of a Canadian roundabout, but their methodology worked: I listened to their music and dug it enough to review it. And I'm mentioning it because, at times, Dealbreaker reminds me of The … Read more

The Library Is On Fire

Degeneration Elegies
The Abyss, Ltd. (2026)

There’s a certain kind of band that never quite fits the moment they arrive in. Sometimes too jagged for one scene, too melodic for another. The Library Is On Fire were one of those bands in the early 2000s, hovering somewhere between indie-punk urgency and power-pop instinct without fully settling into either. On Degeneration Elegies, their first full-length in over … Read more