Weekly Roundup: April 7th
Featuring The Hives, Teenage Joans, Static Dress, and more.
ERRONEOUS BOTCH:
With their highly anticipated third LP finally out in the world, Jacob and Ethan from THORNHILL gave me the down-low on BODIES and the band’s ongoing evolution. In a true feat of interview multi-tasking, the boys chat about the lessons learned from 2022’s Heroine, the science of physical grooves, pulling from disparate 2000s influences, and what it means to make sexy, heavy music–all from the golfing green, mid-backswing. Greg Norman could never. Check it out below:
SIDE A:
A curated selection of cool shit for you to listen to.
Belle Haven – “it’s not that deep”
Naarm/Melbourne alternative emo rockers BELLE HAVEN are back with a catchy single following 2024’s something new EP release. “it’s not that deep” was produced by and engineered by Jack Newlyn (Between You And Me, Teenage Joans, Eat Your Heart Out, Stuck Out), and comes after the group’s national tour supporting the UK’s As December Falls in February.
Continuing his knack for raw, heartfelt lyricism delivered with a gorgeous croon, frontman David De La Hoz states:
“You don’t have to carry the weight of someone else’s version of you. People will paint you however they need to fit their story, but sometimes that’s all it is: ‘it’s not that deep.’”
Watch the video below:
Balmora – Prologue
If you’re a regular reader, the name BALMORA should be familiar. I covered last year’s Six Pacts Etched In Blood, their crushing split with (the now defunct) Since My Beloved, here, and their contribution to the raging One Scene Unity compilation here. Well, the Connecticut metalcore revivalists surprise dropped a new three-track titled Prologue last week through DAZE/Ephyra, pitched as “what The Black Dahlia Murder sounded like if they had irate mosh parts.”
The band are currently destroying venues across North America as part of the DAZE tour alongside Torture, Sanction, Final Resting Place, and Azshara, and if we don’t get a debut full-length in 2025, I’m going spinkick myself into oblivion. Stream the three-track promo in full here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Teenage Joans – “Sweet and Slow”
After spending 2024 mostly quiet, Aussie pop-punkers TEENAGE JOANS are back with an infectious new single, aptly described by the duo as their “Disney Channel” song. “Sweet And Slow” was co-produced by fellow Jayden Seeley (ex-With Confidence), and according to vocalist/guitarist Cahli Blakers:
“It emanates that early 2000s pop-punk sound. We brought this super catchy chorus we had written to Jayden Seely, who co-wrote the song with us. It was our first session with him, and the energy in the room was great—we all knew we were writing such a fun song.”
Watch the cheeky video for “Sweet and Slow” below:
Stateside – Where You Found Me
It’s been a long time coming, folks, but hardcore-adjacent pop-punk outfit STATESIDE have finally announced their debut album. Where You Found Me is due out on June 6th via Pure Noise Records, and includes guest appearances from members of Knuckle Puck and Vamachara.
If you’ve listened to and/or enjoyed any flavour of pop-punk over the last three decades—Saves The Day, New Found Glory, The Story So Far, The Wonder Years, Koyo, Anxious, One Step Closer, etc.—but (like me) are especially fond of Fall Out Boy’s stellar debut Take This To Your Grave, then this might be your AOTY contender. Stream the LP’s pre-release single/s here (Spotify).
Static Dress – “face.”
Back in 2022, my wife and I saw UK post-hardcore sensation STATIC DRESS play a sold-out show at The Underworld in Camden, and—without hyperbole—it was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen in my entire life: truly electric, life-changing shit.
2022’s Rogue Carpet Disaster is still one of my favourite albums of the decade, and the group’s latest single is but further proof of their inimitable talent. So, believe me when I say you need to be listening to this band, at the very least to say you managed to board the hype train before it screams out of the station. Watch the stunning video for “face.” below:
SIDE B & FEATURE ALBUM:
My Side B write-ups on THE CHAIN, THE HIVES, WE LOST THE SEA, and FLORIDA MAN are available now on the TPD Patreon. So please consider becoming a Friend of the Show (for just $3 USD/$5 AUD per month).
You can join our alternative music community, access our existing bonus content, and send me a mildly threatening chat message with some new music you like. I’m deadly serious about this. I want your recommendations!!