Wednesday 29 November 2017

LA LUNA

BandLA LUNA aka BRAIN FEVER
GenresPunk / Hardcore / Emo / Screamo / Skramz / Emo-violence / Powerviolence Thrash
Related artistsChris, Never Better, Fabulous Dad and Nicolas Field.
CountryCalgary, Alberta & Toronto, Ontario CANADA
Years Active2009-2017
Song: "Always Already"
Album: "Always Already"
Year: 2016
For fans ofMahria, Vril, Frail Hands, Council Of RatsLord Snow, Rayleigh, Foxmoulder, I Hate Sex, Swallow's Nest, Gillian Carter, Loma Prieta, Yung Nat$ and O'God The White Whale aka PROPER SCREAMO.
Label(s): Self Released / Pint-Sized Records / Middle Man Records / Dingleberry Records / Mellow Club / A Mountain Far / Thanos Records
This post's artist is from the November 2017 Mix. This is track #8.
You can download: the November 2017 Mix#11 right here or get the new December 2017 Mix#12 here.

I'm not 100% sure where and when I first heard about LA LUNA. It was definitely before they moved from Calgary over to Toronto in 2015. I have videos from November 2013 (linked here) and distro'd five copies of the 2013 12"LP (those sold out pretty darn quick) so I guess it'd be one of those. I probably got the chance to see them play around 10 times while they were here and I will link all of the show reviews at the bottom of the post under the Additional links section. I also interviewed the full band in their apartment in Toronto as they cooked me dinner, the video for which is linked here.

Here's an extremely quick history. LA LUNA began as BRAIN FEVER back in 2009 as a powerviolence band. Throughout the next three years they experimented with a few styles and released a demo tape, splits and two LPs. Their final LP as BRAIN FEVER was titled 'La Luna' in 2012. The LP was rereleased under their new moniker LA LUNA and the same LP was repressed as the 'La Luna' self titled 12". They then recorded songs for an LP as LA LUNA that was shelved in 2015 due to label issues. In 2015 they moved to Toronto, acquired a local drummer (Keon!) and released the 'Always Already' LP on cassette independently and through Middle Man Records. In 2017 they released the LP on 12" vinyl, began a 40-day Canada/U.S.A. tour and disbanded a few shows in. The band was very conscious of social and political issues, including but not limited to sexual preference, abuse and gender equality. The members have also done a plethora or work trying to help their scene and putting on shows, and I'm thinking of Vanessa, in particular. The band, unfortunately, met their demise due to a members' prior behaviour that was disclosed by an individual. I have no knowledge of what actually happened but you can read the band's statement in their final facebook post here.

Let's do a quick run through of their discography. It beginis with the 'Live at Goodlife' demo tape that ended up being the very first A Mountain Far release, the label that was run by Em of Foxmoulder. The recording, which is live (in case you hadn't already picked up on that) from a bike shop, is of surprisingly good quality. The songs vary in style but are generally punk and hardcore, with my favourite being "Uncommon", a shared vocal track with a heck of a lot of screaming going on.

In 2011 BRAIN FEVER were part of a split tape put out by A Mountain Far titled 'Hands In Hands In Hands' and contributed three new songs, all of which have a much more distinct sound and are very telling of where the band would go in the future. Also released in 2011 was the self titled 'Brain Fever' 12"LP, a likely influential point for bands like I Hate Sex, who are from the same province. The maturation here is obvious, boasting some fantastic songs containing incredible parts. A few examples would be the violence of "Noah Constrictor" and "Technitude", the syncopated and spastic nature of "It's In the Water", the incredibly powerful last half of "Moments Like These", as well as the intro guitars, spoken word and bassline in the epic closer "We End". I would posit that this is a stronger release than their 2012 followup 'La Luna', perhaps to much opposition.

The 'The Discord Of A Forgotten Sketch split' 7" was released in 2012 with their fellow Canadians from Montreal. This collection of songs are very dark and cathartic. "Black Weed" shreds right from the get-go, showcasing a hyperactive band about to transition to the name LA LUNA. "Death Giver" expands on the previous sound, as they manage to embed the audio equivalent of a nightmare. The final song on their side is "Falling Apartments", another abrasive two and a half minutes balanced by some beautiful, jammy instrumental work and clean singing by guitarist Nicholas.

Originally recorded and released as BRAIN FEVER in 2012 on tape, 'La Luna' made its way to vinyl in 2013. Screamy, angry and vicious, this release probably best encapsulates the band's emo-violence phase. Tracks such as "You Can Take the Love Out of Lover", "Neverland" and "Never Talk, Only Shame" are extremely short and intense, but it's the lyrics and delivery that cut like a knife. Some prime examples are; "Winter" with the lines "But if I'm not holding onto anything, what's it all for? This winter isn't cold enough.", "The Fool's Card", which repeats the futile line of "These hands can't hold water!", and a lengthy, poignant stab at society on "Destroy Everything You Love" with the lyrics "I can't change what I've become. Too many lives are charged by egos. Too many people lock themselves in their rooms, declaring the world an ugly place. Maybe our moms didn't hold our hands tightly enough or maybe society held them too tight. This is wrong and this is right - all I know is I can't hide this anger anymore and I'll scream to the top of my lungs, 'destroy everything you love!'". As much as I enjoy this record and screamy music in general, their direction with 'Always Already' surpasses this release, although the ferocity and anger are palpable.

The 2015 'Tour Cassingle' contains two exclusive songs, "Boys Club", which is harsh and dark, and also "Storm Song", which is both emo-violence and twinkly emo, not to mention fucking awesome.

'Always Already' has quite the story, originally written in 2014 but not released on tape until 2016 and vinyl in 2017, it was...eh just listen to the story straight from the band's mouth in this interview. The LP made a ton of best of lists in 2016 and opens with the very strong "Empty Portrait", which lays down the style you'll hear on the rest of the record, which is a mash of different genres leading to a very thick and heavy screamo/hardcore sound with shouted, yelled, screamed and spoken vocals. It also contains a crushing final 30 seconds from 1:50 onward. "Outdoor Voice" contains some very interesting guitar work and kind of reminds me of Loma Prieta, or maybe that's because Nicolas once told me that whilst writing this record he was jamming a lot of Loma and Kidcrash. "House Party" is a departure for the band, and is by far the poppiest track they ever released. It even includes a fair amount of clean singing, although I find this track's experimentation much less appealing than their other material. "Undreaming" is 4:37 of heaving swells amidst melodic and driving hardcore while the title track "Always Already" is LA LUNA's opus, boasting guitars and an intro to die for. It builds and falls in on itself numerous times in a stunning rise before going all out at the one-minute mark, bouncing around bassy breakdown city during the next minute and barreling into seventh gear at the second-minute mark. It then spends about 30 seconds chilling out and then moves into a gang vocal end that eventually meets back up with the into during the final 20 seconds. The remaining tracks, numbers 6-10, to be exact, are good but hold nothing on the first half of the record. That being said, "Withdrawal of Consent" and "West in Peace" are quite piercing.

It's a shame that the band was finally getting recognition, going on a massive tour in support of their new record and then disbanded a few dates in. I think everyone will be watching with anticipation for what the members do next. From what I know Nicolas and Keon play in rock band Chris while Vanessa has done a one-off demo with Never Better featuring Shawn of Coma Regalia and Tom of Capacities and What Of Us. Vanessa and Nic are about to record a demo with their new band Digest. Zach from Animal Faces is in this new project as well.

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DISCOGRAPHY

***As BRAIN FEVER
2010 - Live at Goodlife Demo cassetteLP (download here)

2011 - Hands In Hands In Hands (4-way split w/Creeper, Being A Bear and Mighty Atom) cassetteLP (stream/donate/download here)
2011 - Brain Fever 12"LP (stream/donate/download here)

2012 - La Luna cassetteLP (re-released after the name change in 2013 on 12")
2012 - The Discord Of A Forgotten Sketch split 7"EP (stream/donate/download here)

As LA LUNA
2013 - La Luna 12"LP (remaster of 2012 BF album) (stream/donate/download here)
*note → represssed twice more on cassette in 2015/2017, there is also a limited edition version /14 of 12" w/glow in the dark screenprint

2015 - Tour Cassingle (stream/donate/download here)

2016 - Always Already cassette/12"LP (stream/donate/download here)

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(2016) LA LUNA - "Always Already" (from 'Always Already')

(2016) LA LUNA - "Empty Portrait" (from 'Always Already')

(2016) LA LUNA - "Outdoor Voice" (from 'Always Already' release show) live video

(2016) LA LUNA - video interview

(2016) LA LUNA - Basement Show trailer

(2015) LA LUNA - "Storm Song" (from 'Tour Cassingle')

(2013) LA LUNA - "The Fool's Card" (from 'La Luna')

(2013) LA LUNA - "Winter" (from 'La Luna')

(2012) BRAIN FEVER - "Falling Apartments" (from 'The Discord Of A Forgotten Sketch' split)

(2011) BRAIN FEVER - "It's In the Water" (from 'Brain Fever')

(2011) BRAIN FEVER - "Technitude" (from 'Brain Fever')

(2011) BRAIN FEVER - "Moments Like These" (from 'Hands In Hands In Hands' split)

(2010) BRAIN FEVER - "Uncommon" (from 'Live at Goodlife')

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LA LUNA & BRAIN FEVER additional links

LA LUNA Facebook

BRAIN FEVER bandcamp

LA LUNA bandcamp

Video Interview

November 15th, 2017 w/Circle Takes The Square, Lord Snow & Fucking Invisible

August 6th, 2015 w/Joliette, Lord Snow, Foxmoulder & Life In Vacuum

May 10th, 2016 w/Lentic Waters, Locktender, Respire & The World That Summer
('Always Already' cassette release show)

August 1st, 2016 w/Black Love, Respire, Terry Green & The World That Summer

September 3rd, 2016 w/Sarin, Not For You, In The Name Of Havoc & The World That Summer

January 21st, 2017 w/Respire, Terry Green, The World That Summer & Wimp City

April 19th, 2017 w/Edhochuli & Hang The Old Year

May 10th, 2017 w/Soul Glo & Narra

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Tuesday 28 November 2017

***SNAG + SOCIAL CATERPILLAR exclusive premiere***

SNAG + SOCIAL CATERPILLAR
'A Dying Emperor Within A Dying Empire' EP
exclusive premiere
For fans of: Shizune, Matsuri, Bright Eyes and Ride Your Bike

SNAG
Bandcamp
Facebook

SOCIAL CATERPILLAR
Bandcamp
Facebook

Very recently after reviewing SNAG's debut EP (linked here) the band got in touch and asked OMSB to premiere the new SNAG / SOCIAL CATERPILLAR split today...so here we are! The split cassette will be released the release show on December 2nd, 2017 at High Dive in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Zed Kenzo is playing along with both bands and the facebook event is linked up here.

SNAG is amazing, plain and simple. Playing a disjointed and throwback (think early to mid-2000s) style of screamy hardcore, they focus almost primarily on environmental issues, something that I tend to do the same with with my own lyrics. They are truly a talented and progressive band looking to make a difference. The split opens with their "Foam Cup", a 2:47 romp through melodic yet chaotic screamo while "To Chennai With The Skulls of Our Lost Neighbors Dangling From Our Necks" begins with an "immoral" clip from one of my all-time favourite movies, Punishment Park. The song then blazes through three minutes of noodley and screamy hardcore with nods (intentional or not) to Eyes Of Verotika, Hot Cross and Matsuri.

SOCIAL CATERPILLAR drops their two new tracks next, and opt for a very different style of stripped down, bare and raw acoustic guitar with subdued vocals, almost whispered. "Crazy Thoughts" brings to mind Anthony GreenCanvas and perhaps even Mansions, while "Make America Disappear Again" harnesses the dreamy efforts and sounds akin to Bright Eyes and Rocky Votolato. Their side is definitely of the acoustic folk-rock kin, and a nice balance to the split.

Enough jibber jabber. Here are the songs. You can also grab them from the bands' respective bandcamp pages linked above.


Here's some further reading, including some press about the release show (here) as well as some info and and interview with Snag from Bottomed Out (here).

Monday 27 November 2017

PRIZE THE DOUBT

BandPRIZE THE DOUBT
GenresPunk / Rock / Hardcore / Post Hardcore / Emo / Screamo / Skramz Alternative
Related artists?.
CountryColumbus, Ohio U.S.A.
Years Active2010-present
Song: "Axiom"
Album: "Difficulty in Transitions"
Year: 2017
For fans ofSecret Arms, Neev, The Fall Of TroyVauxCarved UpBelovedCampaign CommitteeFear Before The March Of Flames, PastDead PoeticElle, Book Of Dead Names, Weak Wrists, (Lone) Wolf And Cub, United Nations, Crestfallen, The Jonbenét, Wolf Teeth, Moneen, WristMeetRazor, Young Mountain, Supine, Russian Circles, Mares Of Thrace and Beau Navire aka PROPER SCREAMO.
Label(s): Self Released / Tightwolf Records / Suspended Soul
This post's artist is from the November 2017 Mix. This is track #6.
You can download: the November 2017 Mix#11 right here or get the new December 2017 Mix#12 here.

Ever heard of a two-piece that somehow sounds like Moneen and Crestfallen mixed into one? Well, you have now. These writing machines have released a ton of EPs and two LPs in just seven years using a myriad of influences, creating a very unique conglomeration of punk, hardcore, screamo, metalcore and even a bit of skate/pop-punk. With tracks generally ranging from three to five minutes, the evolution of PRIZE THE DOUBT has seen them teeter with two styles from 2010 until 2012, before nestling snugly into their current incarnation of aggressive and technical music inspired by The Fall Of Troy but sounding more like Secret Arms than anything else.

The PRIZE THE DOUBT debut EP was released in 2010 and titled 'This Will Die Unrecognized'. It dips between singing/post-hardcore and then screamo/metalcore territory, generally in the same song, and numerous times per track. The transition from singing to screaming at one minute of "Forget and Forget Again" is awesome, especially considering both members are going all out for it. "Innocent Subjects" is a great song that's heavy on the (good) singing and "We are Too Separate" is where the Fall Of Troy influence becomes the most apparent with both the clean singing and pterodactyl shrieks. "The Daily News is Dead" and "The Purity of Conformity" are quite poppy and seem quite out of place after three pretty killer tunes. Closer "October 17th" is an instrumental jam with the climax coming a minute before its 5:27 run time.

Their 2011 followup titled 'Rot Fun Beg' is an album continually plagued by a split personality that doesn't always jive. Although "Watchward" has some slightly subdued bits, the song hits full force and one would hope a shift in focused, heavier material in general. And those vocals, wowza. Very Crestfallen and Fall Of Troy. Next is "A Friend of Mime", a poppier number not unlike Beloved but with way more parts, "191 Young" contains some questionable vocals in the first minute and a half but once the screaming comes in they two interact well together, but something here seems forced. "Cyber Punk" continues the seemingly impractical balancing act between melodic and fierce, while "Useless Eaters" is the strongest track here and throws in a lot of dual screaming, which I'm a sucker for. Again, the closer is a date, this time the day after from the previous EP, thus titled "October 18th". It, unsurprisingly, is an instrumental jam that showcases some pretty awesome drum work.

'The Empirical EP' was next, released in 2012. For the most part, it finally shed the excess soft stuff and focused on the heavy shit, making it the first release I found myself stoked on at almost the entire way through its six songs. Opener ''Andromeda" is nothing but screamy hardcore in the vein of Fear Before The March Of Flames and Campaign Committee, as it seems that the band is continuing the "hey, let's put our really good, heavy track at the start". This seems less likely after jamming "Ancient Infections", the dark and brooding second track, as the first minute and a half creates a nice atmosphere and build that gets blown to bits shortly thereafter. "Compass Rose" begins spastic and relentless, further showcasing their Fall Of Troy influence but making it even heavier and has some killer parts and breakdowns from 1:30 onward as well as close which is reminiscent of Mares Of Thrace. The always present instrumental jam appears not at the end, as per prior releases, but as track four and is titled, yep, you guessed it, "October 19th". This one is the best yet, as it is prodigious from the get-go and includes some massive riffs after from about one to two minutes and reminds me a lot of what Carved Up does with their instrumental songs. "Introverted" toys with the idea of being instrumental before finally including some manic screaming and speedy instrumentals from about 1:40 plus while closer "Clenchers & Grinders" slows things down a tad but doesn't let up on the intensity.

'New Aesthetic'. Yes. Goddammit, yes. This is what I was waiting for. Embracing their screamo and hardcore sound, they drop 10 songs of aggressive, manic and abrasive music in just over 30 minutes, substantially shedding their poppier side and longer songs. Opener "Murder of Crows" is quite possibly the first PRIZE THE DOUBT song to clock in at under two minutes, exposing its teeth but 25 seconds in with vicious screaming and frantic hardcore. "Dead End Kid" and "Social Holocaust" only just make it to two minutes and both fall into the category of Fall Of Troy screamy hardcore heaven, while "Mirror of the Wicked" is 5:14 of swelling, disjointed hardcore...or is this all screamo? Whatever it is, it's fucking awesome. "Rue", "Chasing Echoes", "Pirate" and "Trope" are all decent, while "Vincent" is a much slower jam (for the first half, at least) and relies on some excellent, driving bass lines. There's also the seemingly out of place is "Regard", a three-minute stab at an acoustic guitar, violins and soft, subdued singing bordering on Anthony Green. Oh, and look at that - they dropped the instrumental "October" songs. I liked them and all but I think leaving it out shows the maturation and acceptance of their darker, more intense and awesome side.

This was the first thing I ever heard by PRIZE THE DOUBT, as Michael Douglas sent it to me for review a few years back. With only two songs I remembered liking it but wanting to wait for their next release, so I kind of passed over the 'Valence split' 7" until now. Fuckin'...oops. It opens with "Ragnarok", the heaviest and darkest song the band has ever encapsulated in time. Seriously, the vocals and instrumentals are fucking nuts here and I would almost call this emo-violence/black metal. "Assayer" is a fast song that isn't as crazy as its predecessor but it's great to rock out to.

'Difficulty in Transitions' is the newest offering by the Ohio duo, weaving 11 songs swelling, shifting and screamy hardcore. I think PRIZE THE DOUBT have finally pulled away from sounding like Fall Of Troy with this fantastic, 2017 full length release. "Sinking Ship" is an angular and heaving opener, clocking in at 5:12, it wanders around new territory for the band, finding a dark and subterranean niche without extending into batshit crazy nor melodic territory. It's truly a beautiful yet haunting number. "Carving Caves" is a really cool, disjointed and piercing track with whirling, spacey guitars (not unlike early Russian Circles) mixed with half yelled/half screamed vocals. At 2:08 the songs shifts to a precisely honed attack before settling back into those driving rhythms. "Arrows" is bass heavy and...is that a synth? Pretty cool but overall a mildly awkward track (at least until the halfway point). "Axiom", on the other hand, is an awesome song. The thing is like a screamy merry-go-round of amazingness, with little-to-no slowdowns and lots of interesting instrumental work. I would go as far as saying it's got some Blood Brothers going on, as well. "Edgar" serves as the album's interlude, as it is 1:56 of distant guitars and ethereal singing and is quite lovely. "More Than You" dips back into flourishes of emo (think House Olympics), while "Versions" does the same over a much longer stretch, as the song brings the LP to a close over the course of nearly 10 minutes. The other songs I didn't touch on, "Death and Dignity", "Poisonous Comedy", "Share Misery" and "Conscious Volition", are all straight up bangers.

Wow, that was a pretty big review. So, what's next for PRIZE THE DOUBT? I dunno, but I bet it's gonna be sick!

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DISCOGRAPHY

2010 - This Will Die Unrecognized EP (stream/download here)

2011 - Rot Fun Beg EP (stream/download here)

2012 - The Empirical EP (stream/donate/download here)

2014 - New Aesthetic LP (stream/donate/download here)

2015 - Valence aka Vita Bassa split 7"EP (stream/donate/download here)

2017 - Difficulty in Transitions LP (stream/donate/download here)

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(2017) PRIZE THE DOUBT - "Axiom" (from 'Difficulty in Transitions')

(2017) PRIZE THE DOUBT - "Carving Caves" (from 'Difficulty in Transitions')

(2017) PRIZE THE DOUBT - "Poisonous Comedy" (from 'Difficulty in Transitions')

(2015) PRIZE THE DOUBT - "Ragnarok" (from 'Vita Bassa' split)

(2014) PRIZE THE DOUBT - "Dead End Kid" (from 'New Aesthetic')

(2014) PRIZE THE DOUBT - "Mirror of the Wicked" (from 'New Aesthetic')

(2014) PRIZE THE DOUBT - "Vincent" (from 'New Aesthetic')

(2012) PRIZE THE DOUBT - "Compass Rose" (from 'The Empirical EP')

(2012) PRIZE THE DOUBT - "Andromeda" (from 'The Empirical EP')

(2011) PRIZE THE DOUBT - "Watchword" (from 'Rot Fun Beg')

(2010) PRIZE THE DOUBT - "Forget and Forget Again" (from 'This Will Die Unrecognized')

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PRIZE THE DOUBT additional links

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Friday 24 November 2017

***Key NEW ZEALAND Finds***

I have been in New Zealand (Dunedin, South Island to be exact) for three and a half months now. My family and I will move back to Canada in less than a month. What a crazy 180 swing that was. Despite this place not being the lasting home that we had hoped it would be I have met and seen countless amazing people and things in my short stay. Here is a massive post covering a fest and a few shows that I've witnessed and/or played, mostly in Dunedin but we also went out to play in Christchurch. I'll have a few more one-offs of concerts in these last few weeks (including my final Swallow's Nest show, for which we will have two vocalists!) but even mentally I'm already on my way out. Let's check out this, seriously, very isolated and incestuous scene that has stolen my heart. Cheese and truth sandwich, right there. Here's the teaser I made for this post. It includes only 9 out of 20 bands with videos in this post, covering one festival and six shows. So please take a gander all the way down to find some new and truly isolated music.


New Zealand Happenings teaser


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UNSANITARY NAPKIN and HELLEBORES
August 26th, 2017
Onslaught 13 @The Crown Hotel
Dunedin, New Zealand

Onslaught 13 was the only show (fest, actually) that I was aware of before moving to New Zealand. This was due to becoming online friends with local/German musician and label creator Joerg D. Berg as well as musician and artist Sam Ovens. Both told me about this two-day event so I made sure to hit it up at numerous points throughout the weekend. Below are some videos I took of the bands I was able to catch. I am remiss to say that I was so enthralled by BAD SEV's set that I didn't film them (the camera was in my bag at the back of the venue) but holy fuck that band is incredible. I've included a link to one of their songs that someone filmed here. I missed another band called TVX and when I showed up everyone was still loopy from being so wowed by them, so I've linked a video of theirs here. Now, for the bands I did film...

UNSANITARY NAPKIN
Volatile, venomous and politically driven hardcore that was probably the best set of the entire fest (that I saw, at least). This four-piece from Wellington just shredded with great, screamy, female vocals (think Johnny Whitney from The Blood Brothers) amidst pulsating hardcore punk with a danceable groove thanks to Rupert's groovin' bass riffs (think Death From Above 1979). Their art with donald trump's (shouldn't be capitalized) head getting blown open by a flying vagina emitting a rainbow is one of the greatest things I've ever seen and is a quick and accurate snapshot into the band's lyrical content. Speaking of their lyrical content, it's amazing. Their new LP 'Patriotic Grooves' comes with a sick booklet with song explanations that will have you screaming obscenities at cops in no time. Really, really cool band. Highly recommended.
Link to songs: *2* / *3* / *4* / *5* / *6*
Bandcamp
For fans of: The Blood Brothers, Black Flag and Amygdala

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HELLEBORES
This Wellington-based band was very cool. All three members took turns on vocals and I think this one was the only one that was led by the drummer, and it fucking kicks ass. The driving, punk rock instrumentals are taken to the next level with those shouted vocals which are being delivered at the same time as some seriously noisy drums. Awesome set, definitely recommend.
For fans of: Nofx and Ramones

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Click here to watch additional videos from:

POVERTY AND SPIT or perhaps YOUR FACE...I don't know - *1* / *2*
GRIPPER *1*


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YUNG NAT$MISHAP and COMMUNITY STATE
September 8th, 2017
Mishap 'Hey Allie' tour @The Crown Hotel
Dunedin, New Zealand


It was a strange mix, screamy, crusty hardcore with skate/pop-punk.

YUNG NAT$
My first ever YUNG NAT$ experience was very enjoyable. Having been greeted with open arms by Joerg (bass) and Lana (vocals) after only two days in Dunedin, I had been keen on seeing them play in their band together with fellow flatmate Ollie (guitar) and drummer Sam. The raw energy and explosive anger was palpable, with Joerg's spastic movements and Lana's shrieks stealing the show. I love Lana's back and forth talking/screaming style that she has and Joerg's bass riff in opener "Safer Communities". Linked below is the band's full set.
For fans of: AmygdalaCerce and Hedge Fund Trader

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MISHAP
This young band was on tour in support of their recent single "Hey, Allie". They are straight-up pop-punk, so if you like Green Day and Blink 182 you'll be all over this.
Link to songs: *2*
For fans of: The GamitsSimple Plan and Blink 182

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COMMUNITY STATE
This Christchurch band brought back memories of my pop-punk days of past (late 1990s and perhaps even early 2000s) and reminded me a lot of The Ataris and The All American Rejects.
Link to songs: *2*
For fans of: DevilleThe June Spirit and The Ataris


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METHCHRISTBOOGNISH and THE ROTHMANS
September 15th, 2017

Methchrist tape release show for 'Nomadic War Machine' @The Crown Hotel
Dunedin, New Zealand

METHCHRIST include members that have spent time in Machina Rex and Yung Nat$, among many others. This new tape has received a lot of recognition here in Dunedin and further out, and it was hoppin' at the show. I had to leave before Tonguecutter played, but I was told they kicked major ass. Check out the rest of the bands below.

METHCHRIST
One of the first nights I was in New Zealand I met Ollie through my friend Joerg. Ollie was super nice and I heard some (at that time) unreleased METHCHRIST tracks and asked what genre it was considered. The answer was war metal, something I was not familiar with. It kind of sounds like harsh, lo-fi grind/black-metal, and it's really fucking good. This was their release show and the place was packed so they ripped through about 20 minutes like it was nothing, with some of the most intense drumming I've seen here. I was exhausted after the set and definitely felt a tad more evil. But I recently found out that Ollie is a bit of a racist and a shitty person, so FUCK Methchrist. I deleted their videos and have removed the remainder of this post. Fuck you, Ollie.
For fans of: racism, shitty behaviour, scum

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BOOGNISH
BOOGNISH are a three-piece that sounds like a 5-piece with very expensive equipment. I don't know they do it, but holy smokes this stuff is huge. The angry, seething nature of the songs themselves are sprinkled with excellent craftsmanship and a strong sense of melody. Think Neurosis meets Alice In Chains, maybe? I dunno, you decide. Also, the drummer was super nice.
Link to songs: *2* / *3*
For fans of: NeurosisAlice In Chains and Tool

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THE ROTHMANS
THE ROTHMANS are quickly becoming one of my favourite Dunedin bands. Their quirky, jarring and spacey concoctions are laced with sass and watching them rock out is always a treat. They played a cover of "Light My Fire" by The Doors which I've embedded below, as well as an original underneath that. If you scroll down you'll see that THE ROTHMANS also played the Hedge Fund Trader, Swallow's Nest and Yung Nat$ show.
Link to songs: *1*
For fans of: Rye CoalitionThe Pixies and These Arms Are Snakes


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YUNG NAT$, IRON MAMMOTH and SWALLOW'S NEST
October 7th, 2017
Secret House show @Matt's House
Dunedin, New Zealand

This was the first show that I played in New Zealand and it was fucking rad. I do vocals in SWALLOW'S NEST and the show was put on by our guitarist Matt and the drummer from IRON MAMMOTH. It was a small and intimate affair with everyone having an awesome time. This was the most chill show I've seen and getting to play our songs to people for the first time was amazing.

YUNG NAT$
YUNG NAT$ closed out the night in typical fashion, movin' around the living room and screamin'. I've seen the band quite a few times and this was one of my favourites, for sure. I took three videos that you can check out below. I think almost all of it is unreleased thus far. The embedded video is called "Safer Communities".
Link to songs: *2* / *3*
For fans of: AmygdalaCerce and Hedge Fund Trader

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IRON MAMMOTH
Opening the night was IRON MAMMOTH, a three-piece of drums, trumpet, keyboard and vocals. I have no idea how to describe the music except as rock and roll meets circus/carnival music, and hot damn it worked really well. I thoroughly enjoyed their set and actually used their video as the introduction for the "New Zealand happenings" teaser video that I made for this blog. Definitely check them out.
For fans of: cool, chill and weird music

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SWALLOW'S NEST
This was our first show. I was a little more nervous than most shows I've done, as we were asked to play about 48 hours before the show so I hadn't memorized all of the lyrics. Considering I scream my head off most of the time it was silly to get worried about it. Anyhoos, I thought we played pretty well. We did the six songs that we had been writing since early September with three of those being much newer. It seemed like it was well received. The video I've posted below is for the song "Apathy as an Infinite Measurement" and it was one of the first three songs we wrote. It's basically a revolt song, centered around the theme that many people in the world are indifferent toward making the world a better place. Considering the devastating path we are on currently in regards to the environment and the future of our children, the increased amount of apathy is appalling, and in some degree as responsible for the current mess we are in as those who purposefully put us here to reap the financial reward.
For fans of: Parents, The World That Summer and Machina Rex


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HEDGE FUND TRADER, SWALLOW'S NEST, CARRADINE CHOKE and NERVOUS JERK
October 13th, 2017
Hedge Fund Trader NZ tour @Wunderbar
Lyttelton, New Zealand

This show was about five hours from Dunedin in a very cool bar behind the street, accessible only by venturing around back, as I found after getting lost trying to find the damn place. This was my first time seeing Hedge Fund Trader so I was fucking stoked. The scenery in Christchurch and Lyttelton was beautiful, with the sun setting as we smoked on the balcony facing the harbour.

HEDGE FUND TRADER
This was my first time seeing Hamilton's HEDGE FUND TRADER, the three piece that titled their debut EP 'Discography' and had dropped their new tape 'No Birds' but a day or two beforehand. Their volatile and screechy take hardcore/emo-violence is fucking awesome, with just a vocalist, guitarist and drummer. The microphone seemed to be feeding back at times, but otherwise the set sounded fuckin' killer. I highly, highly recommend checking out New Zealand's best screamo band.
Link to songs: *2* / *3*
For fans of: Vril, Cerce and La Luna

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SWALLOW'S NEST
This was our second show, almost a week after our first. It went pretty well, although the vocal mic was distorted and overly sharp, resulting in it sounding much too loud in the mix. Regardless, I didn't realize this at the time and had a great time. We played the same set in the same order and things felt much more comfortable. The video embedded here is for the song titled "Dark Hamz". It's about the struggle my wife and I went through trying to find our figurative place in New Zealand and the subsequent toll it took on our marriage.
For fans of: Buried Inside, The World That Summer and Terry Green

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CARRADINE CHOKE
I had previously seen CARRADINE CHOKE at the Onslaught 13 Fest (discussed above). I enjoyed their set even more this time, as they blasted through about 15 minutes of raw, dirty, Black Flag hardcore with a New Zealand twist.
Link to song: *2*
For fans of: Circle Jerks, Leftover Crack and Black Flag

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NERVOUS JERK
The local act was NERVOUS JERK, a fun, energetic and talented pop-punk/rock band. They pulled a fair amount of people and, I must say, I dig the bass and doubled-up vocals.
Link to songs: *2*
For fans of: Bomb The Music Industry, Andrew W.K. and Joyce Manor


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HEDGE FUND TRADER, YUNG NAT$, THE ROTHMANS and SWALLOW'S NEST
October 14th, 2017
Hedge Fund Trader NZ tour @None Gallery
Dunedin, New Zealand

This show was off the hook. Seriously. Without a doubt the most fun I've had yet, the Dunedin date for the Hedge Fund Trader tour was pretty goddamned stacked and all the bands played amazing. Gone were the vocal mic issues from Christchurch and the inclusion of two great local bands made it that much better. Also, our drummer Gabe lives upstairs!

HEDGE FUND TRADER
I think quite a few people who came out were there to see HEDGE FUND TRADER...I know I was, despite the fact that I was also playing the show. And good goddamn, they did not disappoint. I captured their entire set which is embedded below. I can say for sure that Swallow's Nest and HEDGE FUND TRADER will be doing a split together that may or may not end up being a 4-way split. We'll see. Watch this video to see screamo, black-metal, powerviolence and hardcore come together with just vocals, a guitar and drums.
For fans of: Vril, Piri Reis and La Luna

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SWALLOW'S NEST
This was a blast, plain and simple. Like the Baltimore show that I played with мятеж (linked here), seeing and hearing the crowd during and in between songs was great, for they legitimately seemed to be very down with our music. We played quite tight and had fun doing so. The song I've embedded is called "The Stork and the Pelican" and was the second last song that I wrote with the band. It's about a friend of mine and his partner in Toronto who, later in life, were on the verge of having their first child only to find out that the baby had severe issues and would have to be aborted...at nine months. Their ordeal was horrific, even though I feel it from an outsider perspective, so to be a part of it must have been beyond devastating, hence the lines, "I can't find a single time to say how fucking sorry that I am. There's nothing we can do, for what you had to go through..." SWALLOW'S NEST's last show with yours truly in the band will be December 1st, 2017 at The Crown Hotel in Dunedin. It will be our only show with two vocalists, as Lana from Yung Nat$ will be taking over after I go, less than two weeks after the show. We've been doubling up vocals for all seven songs so it will definitely be our best show. More info to come.

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YUNG NAT$
Here is YUNG NAT$, which has since had vocalist Lana joining myself and her YUNG NAT$ bandmate/bassist/partner Joerg in Swallow's Nest. This was a decent set but not the best I've witnessed. I captured some of their best songs, some of which should see the light of day soon via the Diploid split.
Links to songs: *2* / *3*
For fans of: AmygdalaCerce and Hedge Fund Trader

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THE ROTHMANS
I knew I liked THE ROTHMANS, but after this show they are easily in my top 3 Dunedin bands. Watching their quirky, disjointed and jammy rock songs was a treat. The song they played and that I've embedded below is fantastic. It borderlines on cheese but never gets there. Instead, it builds and drops numerous times, with the flow of the song shifting like the ocean. It's also got some fantastic vocals and lyrics. The bassist from this band is also the guitarist and vocalist in Milpool, reviewed further down in this post.
Link to song: Light My Fire
For fans of: Blue Youth, The Pixies and These Arms Are Snakes


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MILPOOL, SEWAGEEMÖ LENDVAIFUCKAULT and MICK ELBORADO

October 27th, 2017
New Bands & Old Bands @The Crown Hotel
Dunedin, New Zealand

This was a show put on by Karl Leisky of Fuckault and Emö Lendvai. Karl also used to play in Yung Nat$. Karl is amazing. I will miss them immensely upon leaving New Zealand. We started a band with another local Tom on bass and Joe on drums and became Emö Lendvai. I am leaving so I am unsure what the band will be doing, but I'm assuming carrying on as a three-piece, as I know that Tom and Joe can also do vocals. The show was very eclectic and fun to watch.

MICK ELBORADO + FUCKAULT
Opening the night was Mick and Karl, combining bass and guitar/noise for some pretty sweet introductory sounds. Karl also plays in Emö Lendvai and their solo noise project is nicely titled Fuckault.
For fans of: noise, ambiance and bass

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EMÖ LENDVAI
After a quick changeover we played four of the first five songs that we wrote. They are sloppy, dual screaming, emo/screamo with everyone playing their selected instrument in a band for the first time. We played okay, as in two songs things got pretty muddled, but this video gives you a good idea of what we sound like. This will likely be my only show with the band as I move back to Canada in just three weeks. The songs we played were "Shmoodles" (video below), "Space Fasting", "No Home for Stem Smoker" and "I Can't Math".
For fans of: And AlwaysSynodus Horrenda and Rene Descartes

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MILPOOL
MILPOOL have a pretty substantial fanbase here in Dunedin, with one member also playing with The Rothmans. Instead of powerful, raging rock/hardcore, this three-piece opt for one of their two heads; either sludgy Weezer rock or twinkly indie rock. I, personally, enjoyed the latter more but unfortunately all the songs I taped were in the former's vein.
Link to song: *2*
For fans of: PileWeezer and The Rentals

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SEWAGE
SEWAGE is a two-piece that started with more members when they were about 14, aka 9 years ago. What started as a Pink Floyd cover band quickly evolved into an experimental, noise and improv group that occasionally features additional musicians. Tonight was just the two of them, Ro on vocals, violin and flute while Gabe (who also drums for my other band Swallow's Nest) goes ballistic on the drums. I don't generally listen to stuff like this at home, but watching people play this amazingness in a live setting is a completely different story. Jam this video and be in awe, seriously!!!
For fans of: Hella and Ahleuchatistas