Saturday, February 27, 2010

Did you hear? Boiling Over - Barriers


 
I've been following Boiling Over since their first show, and now two years later they are at their peak.  Incidentally, this peak coincides with their end and last show.  I hate when bands stick around past their welcome.  It's cool to see Boiling Over quit before their inevitable slide into making indie-hardcore with like trumpets and harp and sound bites from obscure documentaries. No way, I don't think those dudes would ever do that.

Tyler (drums) and T.J. (guitar) exist on a transcendent hardcore plane. They share a common brain which has been programmed for hardcore greatness.  Check out this old video of them running through a set, honing their craft.  They intuitively know where each break and fast part will lead because that's what it's like to be part of a power-duo.  What this amounts to on record is tight guitar and drums.  You heard it on songs like "Trash City," and it's back on "Pushed to Death."
 
I'd argue that Barriers even has a swan-song called "On the Fringe."  You get the fast section at the top with Pat's mean vocals, and then all hell breaks loose when Joey does his thing on bass and the mid-tempo instrumental part kicks in.  Your mosh impulse triggers, and you want to lay waste to this ugly, trashy city. 

Friday, February 26, 2010

Friday, February 19, 2010

Did you hear? A New Found Glory - It's All About the Girls

I write this entry in anticipation of the New Found Glory/ Saves the Day/ Hellogoodbye/ Fireworks show on March 5. The two best bands on the bill (NFG, STD) have put out a lot of records.  Of course I like the new records, but what really gets me going is the old stuff. Remember Lisa's Birthday Tape?

NFG hit their stride early.  Nothing Gold Can Stay (1999) and New Found Glory (2000) are my two favorite records of theirs, and I'm very fond of Sticks and Stones (2002) too.  You gotta remember, I started loving NFG back when I listened to only music of that ilk.  NFG was the best at the style.  Palm-muting, breakdowns, high-pitched vocals, lyrics about girls, Hurley t-shirts, and Drive-Thru Records.


I'm offering the It's All About the Girls e.p. to you because it's important to see how great bands start.  It's a raw and immature record, but there are endearing things about it too. Apparently, samples were big back then, and there are samples galore for just 18 minutes worth of content.  The lead guitar part in "My Solution" is a bunch of fun, and I'd argue that "Standstill" is an awesome song.  They want so bad for it to be heavy, and they get an A for effort.  

Never forget that <2 years later, NFG released Nothing Gold Can Stay. Shows what practice can do.      

Get it here! 

Monday, February 15, 2010

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Did you hear? Division - Who Died? A Working Title

Sinister Label played a crucial role in my early development from passive music appreciator into music lover/ snob/ consumer.  I had their sticker on my 7-subject binder back in high school.  They put out records by hewhocorrupts, Spitalfield, Tom Sawyer, and the band I'll be talking about today- Division.

Division is best-known for their debut LP, Who Died? A Working Title.  This is because it's a wildly catchy record with harmonies only brothers could make (didn't brothers make the harmonies? I can't remember, guys).  You've had the Beach Boys of Chicagoland punk rock right under your noses and you didn't know it.  Fix that.

By the way, this record has absolutely no fat.  All ten tracks are great.  Notice how the lyricists haven't ruined everything with bad metaphors and hyperbole.  Lyrical simplicity: usually a good thing. 

Get it here!

I was at this show!  By the way, this record was pressed on wax and some of my friends own copies.  Sell them to me now!

Cinco!