Weekly Roundup: April 10th
Featuring Dying Wish, SPACED, Beach Fossils, and more.
MOSH PITHY:
A curated selection of cool shit for you to listen to.
King Yosef – “Echo” feat. ghrins
Oregon producer/vocalist King Yosef might only be 25 years old, but he’s already worked with groups like Youth Code and some of the biggest names in rap, including XXXTentacion and Ski Mask the Slump God. Yosef’s upcoming album, An Underlying Hum, is out on April 28th through his own label, Bleakhouse, and was recorded and mixed by Converge's Kurt Ballou at GodCity Music. This one is for fans of electronic noise, harsh vocals, industrial heaviness, and hardcore grooves. Watch the video for “Echo” below:
Buggin’ – Concrete Cowboys
I’ve seen lots of buzz around Chicago hardcore band Buggin’ lately. The group’s debut LP, Concrete Cowboys, is out June 2nd on Flatspot Records and is described as vibrant and groovy with a mix of Bad Brains and Righteous Jams. Vocalist Bryanna Bennett has the kind of raw delivery that cuts right through the mix, giving the group a distinct edge. For their latest single, Bennett states:
“This one is about people that are annoying on the internet, whether it’s spreading horrible misinformation online or oversharing or creating fake personas for attention and clout. These people want all eyes on them.”
Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
RUN – “Iris”
When I had Lochlan Watt on the Pitch pod a few months ago to discuss the release of the latest single from his kitchen-sink metal project RUN, the impeccably titled “Everyone’s Cancelled, Everything’s Cancer,” he hinted that the group would also have a curious cover coming out soon. Well, after being a fixture of the band’s live set for over a year, it’s finally here for our consumption, and it’s a roaring take on the Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris”. If you’ve ever wondered what that sad boy hit would sound like with copious double-kick and blast beats, then this one is for you. Listen to “Iris” here.
Spinebreaker – Cavern Of Inoculated Cognition
As soon as I saw this release hit my inbox, I knew it would be right up my alley. I mean, after all, the band is called Spinebreaker. C’mon? These San Jose up-and-comers feature members of Sunami, Ripped To Shreds, Gulch, and Dead Heat, and are already known for punishing live shows and hardcore/metal crossover appeal. The group’s forthcoming EP, Cavern Of Inoculated Cognition, is set for release on May 5th through Creator-Destructor Records and finds them leaning heavily into their death metal influences. Stream the EP’s pre-release singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Holding Absence – “A Crooked Melody”
Ever since The Lost & the Longing, their exceptional split EP with Aussie bruisers Alpha Wolf from last year, I’ve been patiently waiting for UK post-hardcore outfit Holding Absence to drop new material. Thankfully, that day has finally arrived and we have a huge new single in the form of “A Crooked Melody.” According to frontman Lucas Woodland, the track is “a song about denial. It’s the lie we tell ourselves every night to help us sleep, but deep down, we know the truth. The big difference between a crooked melody and a lie, however, is that it's sweet, enchanting, and easier to swallow.” Listen to “A Crooked Melody” here.
SPACED – Far Out Hardcore
Buffalo hardcore crew SPACED are set to embark on a massive UK/Europe tour in the coming months, so they’ve pulled together a tasty new two-track single to bolster their live set. I really enjoyed last year’s compilation album, Spaced Jams, and the tracks on Far Out Hardcore are just as anthemic and hard-hitting, evidencing the band’s psychedelic take on two steps, stage dives, and circle pits. Stream the two-track single in full here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Dying Wish – “Torn From Your Silhouette”
2022 was a huge year for Portland metalcore juggernaut Dying Wish. The band spent most of the year on the road, touring across multiple continents with everyone from Counterparts, Hatebreed, and Limp Bizkit, and still somehow found time to work on their sophomore follow-up to 2021’s Fragments of a Bitter Memory LP. Our first taste of that new material comes in the form of a mid-2000s metalcore rager with a strong focus on frontwoman Emma Boster’s soaring, clean vocals. According to Boster, the track is “written about taking the risk of being vulnerable with another person, only to find they have dishonest intentions and take advantage of your willingness to love.” Check out the video for “Torn From Your Silhouette” below:
Beach Fossils – Bunny
Brooklyn rockers Beach Fossils have been around for a while, but admittedly, this is my first time paying attention. The quartet’s new record Bunny is out on June 2nd through Bayonet Records, and it’s got a breezy, jangly indie rock sound that, to my ear, sounds familiar to what made Turnover’s Peripheral Vision so goddamn catchy. Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Listen to all these tracks and more on the TPD 2023 CUTS playlist, updated weekly.
HEAVY METTLE:
A closer, more in-depth look at a new record that ticks all my boxes.
Scowl – Psychic Dance Routine
I’m confident in stating right now that 2023 will be the year of Scowl. Alongside their Californian peers in Drain, Zulu, and Militarie Gun, the Santa Cruz quintet have been taking the hardcore world by storm and continue to elevate the genre. They’ve amassed hundreds of thousands of streams, scaled up to major festival lineups—soon to include Coachella—and collected fans in figures like Post Malone and Hayley Williams.
While their 2021 debut album, Where The Flowers Grow, received rave reviews (including yours truly) and was a firm indicator of potential, the band’s new EP Psychic Dance Routine activates that potential and levels up the band’s sound to dizzying heights—think Negative Approach meets The Breeders, and you’ll be in the right zone. It’s hardcore with grunge hooks worthy of a Hole record, and Kat Moss’ clean vocals are stronger and hookier, with more control and confidence.
Stream here: Bandcamp | Spotify
ERRONEOUS BOTCH:
Sam Dillon from Sydney sludge metallers Lo! and extreme outfit Hadal Maw joined me on the Pitch pod last week to celebrate the release of Lo!’s newest album, The Gleaners. With that record finally upon us, the frontman, throat-shredder and lyrical prophet takes us through a diverse Hit List overflowing with sociopolitical resentment (and a cheeky, sensual number thrown in the mix, too). Check it out below: