MOSH PITHY:
A curated selection of cool shit for you to listen to.
Action/Adventure – “Levity”
Chicago pop-punkers Action/Adventure are following up their 2021 debut Pulling Focus with a new batch of tunes. Their sophomore record is called Imposter Syndrome (out November 11th through Pure Noise Records), and it sees them continue to blend the overlapping melodies and crunchy riffage of Four Year Strong with the playful pop sensibilities of Neck Deep and Seaway. Sure, it’s not reinventing the wheel, but is that truly what you want from your pop punk? I think not. Watch the video for the album’s lead single, “Levity,” below:
Jobber – Hell In A Cell
This one dropped into my inbox and it’s been on heavy rotation over the last week. Hell In A Cell (out October 21st via Exploding In Sound Records) is the debut release from “wrestling concept band” Jobber, and it’s a total grab bag of 90s alt-rock sounds. In terms of personnel, Hellrazor members Kate Meizner (The Glow, Maneka) and Mike Falcone (Speedy Ortiz, Ovlov) already have the chops to pull this off, and they do so with consummate ease. So, if you want your pop numbers to land like a suplex, then Jobber have got you covered. Stream the EP’s pre-release singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Their / They're / There – “Living Will or Living Well”
Legendary math rock/emo outfit Their / They're / There are finally dropping a full-length release. It’s called Their / They're / Three (get it?), and it’s available from October 21st via frontman Evan Weiss’s (Into It. Over It., Pet Symmetry) label Storm Chasers Ltd in partnership with Polyvinyl Records. If you’re a fan of bouncy, sustained guitar riffs ala Minus The Bar, twinkly leads, and punchy drum work, then this is for you. Listen to “Living Will or Living Well” here.
No Peace – Something More
Adelaide hardcore crew No Peace are carrying the torch for a very mid-2000s strain of anthemic, floor-clearing melodic hardcore. The group’s debut LP, Something More (out December 3rd on Life.Lair.Regret Records), has all the energy and pit dynamics of reputable acts like Down To Nothing, Carry On, and early Comeback Kid. Perfect for a good two-step or a casual pile-on with your mates. Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Anxious – “Sunsign”
It hasn’t even been ten months since the release of their spectacular full-length debut effort, Little Green House (also one of my favourite records of 2022), yet Connecticut outfit Anxious are already back on the grind with a shiny new single. “Sunsign” is another heart-on-sleeve alt-rock adjacent cut, albeit one that softens the quintet’s post-hardcore bite in favour of a more mid-tempo summer banger. It’s a great progression for the band, and I can’t wait to see where they take things from here. Listen to “Sunsign” here.
Lucero – Should’ve Learned By Now
Southern country punks Lucero have a new LP in the works, adding album #12 to their already impressively stacked discography. Last year I described their previous effort, When You Found Me, as “a sleek and stylish turn for the group... energized by electric riffs, booming percussion, vocal processing on Nichol’s sharp hooks, and glitzy synthesizers.” According to the band, its follow-up Should’ve Learned By Now (out February 24 via Liberty & Lament/Thirty Tigers) “is basically about how we know we are fuckups, and I guess we are ok with that.” Hell yeah, brother. Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Spotify).
Fleshwater – “Kiss The Ladder”
Back in July, I featured Fleshwater on a playlist of contemporary acts pulling from the deep well of Deftones inspiration. Well, I’m pleased to report that the band haven’t made a complete liar out of me. Following their intriguing 2020 demo, the Lowell, MA quartet are set to release their debut album, We’re Not Here to Be Loved, on November 4 via Closed Casket Activities. The album’s promo material cites a “kaleidoscope’ of influences, including “Hum, Deftones, Sunny Day Real Estate, and Far to Björk,” and you can hear all of these sounds swirl and coalesce on the record’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it lead single. Watch the video for “Kiss The Ladder” below:
Temple Guard – Spear Of The Revenant
From the minds of xRepentancex and Carry The Weight Records, comes a righteous record of metallic hardcore fury. It’s clear that Spear Of The Revenant is heavily indebted to the late 90s sound (think Arkangel, Mourning Again, All Out War, etc.), with Temple Guard focusing their intensity through incisive environmental lyricism and a “take no prisoners” political ethos. The album is available now through The Coming Strife (UK) and Life.Lair.Regret Records (AUS), and it absolutely rocks. Stream the LP in full here (Bandcamp/Spotify).