Weekly Roundup: October 24th
Featuring Elder, Jimmy Eat World, Foreign Hands, and more.
MOSH PITHY:
A curated selection of cool shit for you to listen to.
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes – “The Drugs” feat. Jamie T
We all have that one mate who loves the nose beers just a bit too much. Thankfully, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes have condensed the perils and pitfalls of addiction into a raucous two-minute banger. The standalone track features a cheeky guest spot from English singer-songwriter Jamie T, and the video was shot in Carter’s London tattoo studio, Rose of Mercy. Watch the video for “The Drugs” below:
Throwing Bricks – The Burden
If (like me) you’ve enjoyed the winding sonic pathways of acts like Deafheaven, Alcest and Lantlôs over the last decade, then Netherlands outfit Throwing Bricks should be right up your alley. Their bio describes their aural profile as a fusion of “sludge, screamo, hardcore and black metal,” and I can definitely hear those elements coalescing into something greater than the sum of their parts on the Utrecht quintet’s latest album, The Burden (out October 28th through Tartarus Records). Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Jimmy Eat World – “Place Your Debts”
I think it’s fair to say that of all the bands to receive their time in the mainstream spotlight of the 2000s emo gold rush years, Jimmy Eat World have managed to outlast them all, aging like a fine wine as they close out their third decade of continuous activity. Case in point: the Arizona quartet’s latest single, “Place Your Debts.” It’s an affecting slow-burn ballad with a sweeping climax that goes a long way to approaching the transcendent majesty of iconic cuts like “Goodbye Sky Harbor” and “Polaris.” Outstanding stuff. Listen to “Place Your Debts” here.
Mourning – Disenlightenment
UK heavy-hitters Mourning aren’t ones to fuck about, which is probably why their debut full-length is titled Disenlightenment (out November 15th via Streets Of Hate). According to vocalist Connor Hehir, the overarching theme of the record is “distrust, exhaustion and contempt of living in the modern western world.” If you’re after venomous metallic hardcore fuelled by contempt and disgust that isn’t afraid to get its philosophical hands dirty, then this is for you. Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Spotify).
Elder – “Endless Return”
After 2020’s Omens and their collaborative LP with fellow psychonauts Kadavar, 2021’s A Story Of Darkness & Light, Elder are finally back with a new heady batch of tunes, titled Innate Passage (out November 25th through Stickman Records). As one would expect from the Massachusetts quartet, the record is overflowing with enthralling chord progressions, intricate riffs, warbling keys and synths, and the kind of grand campfire lyricism worthy of many backyard LSD tabs. Listen to the album’s lead single, “Endless Return,” here.
Plasma Canvas – DUSK
One of the perks of this whole newsletter thing is coming across new music in a consistent way. For example, prior to this week, I wasn’t familiar with Fort Collins alt-punk outfit Plasma Canvas. Nor was I aware that their new LP, DUSK, is set for release through SideOneDummy early next year. However, despite that epistemological shortfall, my life is noticeably richer with this knowledge safely tucked away in my meat noggin. And now I get to do the same for you. Isn’t that neat? Neat. Stream the LP’s pre-release single here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Foreign Hands – “Tearing Down Your Reality”
This will be my third time featuring Delaware-based metalcore outfit Foreign Hands in this newsletter. Am I concerned about oversaturation? No. Why? Well, the group’s Bleed The Dream EP is sick. Their previous single, “Chlorine Tears,” was a certified rager. And their latest single, “Tearing Down Your Reality,” might just be the best thing they’ve ever done. It’s stupid heavy, technical, and urgent, with a keen ear for melody and resonance. If anyone wants to know where the subgenre is heading in 2023, show them this song. Debut full-length album announcement when? Watch the video below:
Shutups – I can't eat nearly as much as I want to vomit
Okay, confession time. I’m a total sucker for that corny, emo-heyday tradition of songs and albums with pretentiously verbose titles. What’s that? Some of them come in all lowercase too? Even better. It is for this reason, among many others, that I recommend listening to the sophomore album from Bay Area indie-punks Shutups. It’s titled I can’t eat nearly as much as I want to vomit—a subject I'm sure will feel instantly relatable to my devoted readers. The record is out now through Kill Rock Stars, and you can stream it in full here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
HEAVY METTLE:
A closer, more in-depth look at a new record that ticks all my boxes.
Their / They’re / There – Their / They’re / Three
Here’s a controversial opinion: ‘math rock’ as a subgenre descriptor is a turn-off for most casual alternative listeners. This is because—I think—it makes otherwise fun, upbeat, and interesting music sound like nerdy poindexter shit. Unnecessarily so, too. If you were describing something like Minus The Bear to someone who lacked a frame of reference, how would you do it? Let’s face it, a casual “Oh, it’s math rock” probably isn’t going to cut it.
However, if you said, “Well, it’s rock, but it’s also got these super pretty, twinkly guitar refrains with punchy drums and bouncy grooves sitting on smooth vocal lines that make you wanna live life like it’s a feverdream neo-noir,” that might push you over the edge and sweep up a new fan. All of this is to say that Their / They're / Three, the new album from Their / They're / There, is all of this but heavier, and it fucking rocks in a total “algebra not required” kind of way.
Stream here: Bandcamp | Spotify