Peacebreakers - Demo CS

Originality was not exactly the goal here, we have a Negative Approach for the 21st century. Oh wait... NA is back together anyway. Still this tape is pretty awesome. You can't really get sick of that style of hardcore, it's called good. I would definitely say Peacebreakers is better and tighter than anything NA every recorded. Complete leads and actual drumming abound. The second track also has much more of a Boston sound but they then revert back to hard as nails Detroit with their last track which is so similar to "Whatever I Do" I don't even know what to say about it. I was really excited to play with and see this band at Damaged City fest but their set was actually incredibly underwhelming. The band had no energy at all but hey, sometimes fest environments are weird and it gets like that. I hope I have the opportunity to see them again. Also, holy shit they have a lot of material, when are we gonna hear that already? Anyhow, here is more of Boston doing it right as always. Recorded over some shitty Goodwill tape, I like their style.





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Porcelain God - CS 2013

Three beautiful tracks from Tacoma's fairly new child Porcelain God. Dubbing music "Shoegaze" is very popular right now and unfortunately that's what this band was described to me as before I saw them. There seems to be somewhat of a resurgence of popularity in the 'genre' especially in the contemporary hardcore scene. As is usual of the contemporary hardcore scene people bastardize and conflate the term with music that sounds absolutely nothing like it. Don't get me wrong britpop and dreampop gave me some of the best music my ears have ever beheld but when there are a lot of elements that kill it for me (to name a few, not the biggest fan of most American attempts at the genre, the boom ended in the nineties as did most even decent representations of the music, etc. etc.) they are then narrowed and trickled through the funnel of contemporary efforts that have no idea how to present the music effectively... this leaves you with pretty much nothing. But alas! There are bands that do it proper, US efforts in the 90's like LA's Medicine killed it, and even now contemporary efforts like NY's The Daysleepers are doing it proper. Now on to Porcelain God. This cassette is incredible. I absolutely love it. All three songs have a progression that could lull anyone into a trance of introspection and or sleep but I would not throw them into a subgenre that died decades ago. Where there are dreampop elements apparent in the music (The dirgy strumming of power chords over melodies and tremolo ala My Bloody Valentine and I even catch hints of Lush) seeing this band live was really much different than the recordings. It reminded me a lot more of 90s post-punk and indie like The Promise Ring and Texas is the Reason. I really don't know why because it doesn't translate that way at all on recording. "Drive Me Around" is a dirgy drive to a hypnotic hook with a bridge sure to give the listener vertigo, "Learn Silence" gives you that tremolo, delay and abrasive guitar effects everyone craves with a surprisingly upbeat chorus, and "Very Bad Dream" ends the tape with a hypnotic crunch and distant echoed vocals. This is one of the best things I've heard come out of Tacoma in a while. Keep it up! Taiga said they have plenty of practice recordings but no new music yet! I'm excited to hear more. Remember kids, you can't put together a pedal board and call your band shoegaze because it has melodies, delay and tremolo. Sorry about the rant, I'm tired.



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Caged Animal - CA Crew EP

 

Max is always in the best bands from the Bay and this EP is no exception. Hard hitting, I mean come on it's 8 songs in under 4 minutes and one song is a 41 second intro by Antwon and DJ Eons. Also "DFTC", come on guys is this Youth Korps? Short and sweet and hard as nails, just how I like it. Dehumanized and Nudes got to play with these guys at the Rec Center before it closed down in June of last year, first time I saw them and even though it was their early incarnation they already blew me away. Most recent time I saw them was when we got to play with them at Subversion fest. Moshed my buns off. Don't sleep on it! you'll regret missing this one.





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White Wards - Paint Huffer

New White Wards track from the LP coming soon. Jake did a dope job. Listen to it Here. First new material from White Wards in a while. Also we got GAG lp test presses.

GAG + White Wards - Crew Neck Season

Gag and White Wards crew necks will be up and available until May 6th! That's only 12 days to pick these bad boys up so get em' while they're hot. One of the designs features comic sans and wing dings on the same shirt, art courtesy of Jason Lee of Blotter fame. Pick them up here! (2323717.bigcartel.com)

April Update

Just got back from Adjustment To Society East Coast tour and boy do I have some stories to tell. I also have some great music I picked up on the way to put up and some shit I had waiting for me when I got home I'm really excited about, including but not limited to, the new GAG test press.



Long story short tour was fucking amazing, among the highlights: seeing 86 Mentality, Striking Distance playing in a 20 foot wide room, seeing John Stabb sing 'Teenager In A Box' with Coke Bust, a band using Shrek audio samples, and blowing up paint cans and burning palettes in an abandoned warehouse with Ooze and Rainbow Party. Way too much to name off the top of my head. My desk is littered with shit I wanna put up, to name a few:

86 Mentality - Goin Nowhere Fast LP Finally got to see 86 play as the surprise guest at Damaged City, pre-release on Grave Mistake, everything wonderful in one place.
Blood Red - Seize You LP Something Trey gave me when ATSX played the HOH record release, haven't had the chance to spin it yet but stoked!
Caged Animal - S/T 7" Our boys from the Bay, best thing outta the Bay in a while.
Correction - Demo CS Cool UK straight edge hardcore the kids from Misled Youth and Vile Faith gave me
Culo - Demo 7" Didn't get one with blood on it unfortunately.
Curmudgeon - Amygdala CS Friends from the East, too loud for the crowd.
Easy Rider - Demo CS gave this dude a Gag shirt in NJ and he gave me his demo, stoked!
GAG - 40oz Rule '90 7" Tests are in!
Hounds of Hate - S/T LP Favorite release of 2013? ATSX played the LP release and I had to pick up a copy.
Hunting Party - The Story So Far CS Bay friends, Max also kills it in Caged Animal
Intent - Demo CS Cool late 80s influenced hardcore from the East, played with them in DC and they covered Raw Deal, pretty much the sound I heard reflected but haven't jammed the CS yet.
Iron Lung Mixtape II - CS Gag and White Wards duh.
Kruel - Esperando El Fin CS Joey had this waiting for me when I got home, missed Sam by minutes... fuck!
Last Warning - Demo CS Hardcore professional Richardo's new band, stoked!
Laughboy - Demo CS Picked up on the Midwest tour
Menanites - Demo CS Kevin rules and his band is sick, fuck yes!
Misled Youth - Demo CS Band blew me away at the DC aftershow.
Nightprowler - Psychopath CS Mark Palm's new solo shit, Amos of Bedside's doing.
Peacebreakers - Demo CS Underwhelming live, amazing recorded.
Permanent Ruin - Hell Is Real 7" Friends from San Jose, been meaning to put up for a while and a show with them in jersey reminded me!
Potential Friends #5 - Zine Tyler's new zine with an ATSX Strangers Midwest Tour recap.
Self Abuse - Demo CS A little somethin I got from Ralph.
Side FX - Demo CS Another little somethin I got from Ralph.
TBH Fanzine + Compilation 7" Bogus zine, sick ass comp!
Raw Nerve - Every Problem Solved 7" A gift from Ralph.
The Rival Mob - Mob Justice LP Picked up at Armageddon in Boston.
V/A - Pit Stains Comp CS Something Adam from Columbus OH put out.
Vile Faith - Demo CS Super young kids pitting harder than anyone at Damaged City.
Violent Reaction - Demo CS Sick ass straight edge UK hardcore.
Welcome to the Midwest - Zine Another somethin' from Tyler.
Working Stiff - Demo CS Jersey based wild hardcore.
Zodiacs - Demo CS A last little somethin from Ralph.

All that and more comin' up soon, hold tight, gotta leave for Calgary with GAG and White Wards on the 17th.

Adjustment To Society - East Coast Tour 2013