“What the fuck is this shit?” I’ll admit, that was my first reaction upon hearing Cincinnati’s Mixtapes. It’s not that it was bad by any means, but being labeled as one of the newest quintessential pop-punk bands that must be checked out I was a little surprised by the acoustic, piano driven anthems found on their EP “A Short Collection of Short Songs”. I know, me and my narrow mind.

After I got over myself, I gave A Short Collection of Short Songs another chance, and let me say now I am completely blown away and find myself playing it all the time. I will say however, that I don’t believe that Mixtapes should be pigeon holed into the “pop-punk” genre as everyone seems to place them. The band pulls from so many more influences, including indie, and at times with their gal/guy vocal combination I was reminded a bit of Matt and Kim. The big difference from them and the hundreds of other punk bands that pull a lot of influences from indie is that Mixtapes do it right and keeps an ADD music fan such as myself hooked.

7 Songs in 16 minutes, every song hold up on their own. “I’m Like” and “The Real Hotel California” are more traditional pop-punk songs while “Soups Whatever” and “Birthday Party Summer Camp” are slower (but just as catchy). Mixtapes also threw in a Hold Steady cover for good measure. Fuck yeah.

MP3:
Mixtapes – Birthday Party Summer Camp (Helllooo Meggannn)

Read These Dude:
Bomb The Music Industry – Vacations
The Menzingers – Chamberlain Waits
The Copyrights – North Sentinel Island

Buy:
Animal Style Records

I usually don’t post news, but today I learned that singer Dave from Big D And The Kids Table has been diagnosed with throat cancer. While I don’t listen to them as much as I used to, Big D was easily one of my favorite bands for MANY years (I even had their wristband I used to wear 24/7 in my high school days), and I find myself returning to their older albums over and over.

Get well soon Dave, and here’s a little Big D mix for all you readers.

MP3:
Big D and the Kid’s Table – President
Big D And The Kids Table – Walls
Big D and the Kids Table – Shining On
Big D and The Kid’s Table – GLD

Read These Dude:
Scenester 101: How to Be a 3rd Wave Ska Dork
Big D And The Kids Table – For The Damned Dumb and Delirious
Big D And The Kids Table – Good Luck

Buy:
Big D

I’ve been meaning to check out Kicking Spit’s “Pyschrockbullshit” EP for a while now. I brought the CD into work right before I broke my arm, and it sat there for months while I was out on disability. Now that I’m back, I FINALLY had a chance to listen to it, and let me say, these New Brunswick, NJ dudes don’t let down.

The 6 song EP is filled with fuzzy distortion punk rock, mixed with plenty of traditional rock and roll sensibilities and indie college rock that was popular back in the 90s. Taking plenty of cues from bands such as Husker Du and early Weezer, Kicking Spit puts their own refreshing spin on a genre that has all but died out.

Usually, I’m not a huge fan of bands that are influenced a lot by the indie bands of the 90s, but I’ve been giving “Pyschrockbullshit” plenty of spins as of late. Definitely check it out if you are a fan of bands such as Husker Du.

MP3:
Kicking Spit – Nothin Left

More:
Jay Reatard – Matador Singles 08

Buy:
Kicking Spit

Yesterday afternoon I headed out to my second home Philly’s Barbary to catch DC hardcore dudes Coke Bust. The place had a decent amount of people going, and all the opener’s I saw were solid. As par the course for Sunday shows I’ve been to, the crowd was pretty tame (which was a bit surprising since it was fucking Coke Bust… but I was totally there too, feeling really low key).
Congenital Death:

Philly locals Congenital Death were the first to take the stage, and I have to say, I was really digging them. Female fronted hardcore powerviolence, their music reminded me a bit of Crucial Unit if they liked to throw in hardcore breakdowns every now and then. They also played a cover of Youth Of Today’s “Prejudice”. Sweet.

Self Conscious:

Local Philly homies playing furious hardcore, these bud’s are actually the guys from Cobra Lung, just switching instruments. They anonounced that this was their last show, and singer Jim was a wild man with the microphone diving into the crowd, starting pits by himself… These guys shouldn’t be breaking up.

Backslider:

I missed United Youth because I stepped outside for a while (fucking beautiful out), but made it back in time for Backslider. I’ve seen these guys on flyers plenty of times, but somehow always missed them. I didn’t realize it was just two dudes (one guitarist and one drummer), but they were heavy as fuck and plenty in the crowd seemed to know every word.

Coke Bust:

I know. I know… I missed Sick Fix, we don’t need to talk about it. But I was able to catch DC’s Coke Bust, and they put on a solid (yet way too fucking short) set. They had an awesome stage presence, and they just seem to love what they do. They played their spastic hardcore to a relatively calm (but still digging it) crowd, and before we knew it… they were saying goodbye.

Highlights:
Under The Street Lights
Bullshit Copout
Lines in The Sand
Cycle Of Violence

MP3:
Coke Bust – No One To Impress

More:
Coke Bust – Lines In The Sand
Punch – Self Titled
Ceremony – Violence Violence

Buy:
Coke Bust

Last night, after winning my dodgeball championship (fuck yeah children’s games), I rushed down to the basement of Philly’s Broad St Ministry to catch the legendary hardcore band Bane. The basement was packed, and I made it just in time for Boston’s Defeater.

Defeater:

I definitely have heard of Defeater before, but I haven’t ever heard their music. They took the stage and a dedicated few immediately started the pile ons and stage dives, and the band was exploding with energy on stage. They played hardcore but in a much more mid-tempo and gloomier ambiance to it, and almost sounded a bit experimental (lot of the lyrics came off concept albums, dealing with World War II, etc.)

I’ll have to check out their recorded stuff.

Bane:

Does Bane really need an introduction at this point? These Boston dudes have made such an impact on hardcore, and always throw an insane live show. I don’t know if they always have this much energy, but every time Bane comes to Philly, they always seem to be enjoying the fuck out of their selves which is awesome to see in a band that’s been doing this nonstop for over 13 years.

A pit immediately cleared, and had people stage diving, two stepping (cough yours truly cough) and shouting along every lyric as soon as the band uttered the words “We’re Bane.” The band played songs off all of their releases, with plenty off of Give Blood (my personal favorite) and a few off of Holding This Moment. Great time as usual (I missed Bane), and luckily this time around, I didn’t need to go get stitches after the show…

Highlights:
Some Came Running
Speechless
Swan Song
Sunflowers and Sunsets
My Therapy

MP3:
Bane – Speechless

More:
Scenester 101: How To Be An Old School Hardcore Kid In 10 Easy Steps!
Give Up The Ghost

Buy:
Bane

Sometimes you stumble across a band in such an odd way, it almost seems like fate. A friend of mine told me she’s been trying to check out this band called The Dangers for a while now, but couldn’t find out which one it is (few bands with the same name). I tried helping her out, and in the process of trying to find it, stumbled across California hardcore band Dangers.

I checked out their demo they released in 2004, and was fucking hooked immediately. Listening to the demo is essentially a 6 song, 7 minute long tornado of furious hardcore and emotion. In my opinion the real gem on the album is the opener “We Broke The PA” which is able to deliver the message about the pacification of hardcore’s meaning in the most poetic way possible, crammed in 46 seconds of pure aggression (Our music is so soothing/Our movement is not moving/ We plug our mic’s into Clear Channels/They buy it/Now we’re dismantled)

Danger’s demo is a must have for any fan of no bullshit, no frills hardcore… oh, and it’s completely free to download up on their band page.

Mp3:
DANGERS – We Broke The PA

More:
Carry On – A Life Less Plagued
American Nightmare – Year One
Punch – Self Titled
Cokebust – Lines In The Sand

Buy:
Dangers

There have been a lot of mediocre hardcore bands that have existed over the years, as a quick shuffle on my music will prove. Sure, they’re not bad, but nothing about them stands out in particular and their album doesn’t really stick with me… then there’s Carry On’s “A Life Less Plagued”.

Released back in 2001 by these California dudes, A Life Less Plagued is one hell of an aggressive ride. Mixing old youth crew hardcore with more thrashier elements, Carry On shows you what to expect within their opening track The View, a 21 second blitz. A Life Less Plagued will continue to melt your face, collect the remnants, and then finally shove that shit down your throat throughout all 12 tracks.

According to the Midwestern Housewives personal recommendation engine (eat it amazon), if you life bands such as Punch or Coke Bust, you’ll fucking love Carry On. This is what stage dives and pile ons are made of.

MP3:
Carry On – Roll With The Punches

More Chicken Soup For The Hardcore Soul:
American Nightmare – Year One
American Nightmare – Background Music
Punch – Self Titled
Cokebust – Lines In The Sand
Ceremony – Violence Violence

Buy:
Bridge 9

I’ll be the first to admit it, when I first heard Wisdom in Chains, I immediately brushed them off as another tough guy hardcore band. You know, the type where kids in Terror and Blood for Blood hoodies and mesh shorts go in the pit and practice their spin kicks and softball windmill throws on each other (I’d rather take some solid two stepping and pile-ons any day thank you very much…).

I decided to give their 2005 release “Die Young” (reissued in 2007) a listen and damn I was pleasantly surprised. The 17 song album isn’t the tough guy chug fest that I was expecting (don’t get me wrong, it’s still there), but instead blends plenty of elements of straight up punk rock and oi into the hardcore. Songs such as “Fade” and “Out Of Season” are more likely to inspire circle pits with their catchy punk rock hooks while “The Game Of War” and “One Of These Days” are more traditional hardcore anthems. “Fighting In The Streets” is probably one of the catchiest Oi anthems I’ve heard to date.

Mad Joe Black never really screams into the microphone and has more of a barking with melody style to his voice. Guitarist Tony adds his talented solos throughout the album adding an element making Wisdom In Chain’s sound their own.

Listening to “Die Young” was incredibly reminiscent of Kill Your Idols earlier stuff, when they mixed a lot of punk rock melodies in with their hardcore. Definitely give this one a chance.

MP3:
Wisdom In Chains – Fighting In The Streets

More Hardcore:
Scenester 101: How To Be Hardcore
Kill Your Idols – No Gimmicks Needed
Kill Your Idols – This Is Just The Beginning

Buy:
Widsom In Chains

I remember when Richmond’s The Haverchucks first sent me their demo earlier this year, I was completely blown away. Seriously, it’s been a while since a demo has had me so hooked. So when I found out that they released a 5 song Self Titled 7 inch, you know I had to check that shit out immediately (as in, immediately after I found out…)

Released back in May, the self titled 7″ continues their tradition of playing Screeching Weasel influenced pop-punk, but has a bit more of a harder punk edge than the demo. The songs are more fast paced and they’ve cut down a bit on the on the backing vocal melodies (see “Allison Don’t Love Love Me Anymore”), and while a bit different, this 7 inch completely rules.

Clocking in under just 8 minutes, I highly recommend The Haverchucks to any fan of catchy punk rock. Oh, and they have it for free on their bandpage to download, so what the fuck are you waiting for (Protip: get their demo while you’re there too… you won’t be disappointed).

MP3:
The Haverchucks – You Suck

Don’t Be A Dolt, Check These Out:
The Haverchucks – Demo
Hold Tight! – Can’t Take This Away

Buy:
Haverchucks

I feel really disappointed that I didn’t make the trek out to Asbury Lanes last night to catch None More Black, so I’m listening to them all day today. I then realize I never even posted on some of their best albums… Fucking A, I have a lot in the archives I need to work on.

After the demise of (the great) Kid Dynamite, from the ashes rose hardcore band Paint it Black, and more punk leaning None More Black (apparently the members of KD really fucking like the color black.) Releasing their debut full length “File Under Black” back in 2003, the album features some of the catchiest mid-tempo anthems in punk.

Shevchuck’s voice adds some extra gruff to the poppy and catchy melodies provided by the guitar work, and the lyrics are both incredibly snide and introspective at the same time (“I must be someone, because I think that everyone thinks I’m a bastard”).

Definitely a must for anyone who is a fan of The Bouncing Souls or melodic punk in general.

MP3:
None More Black – Nods To Nothing

More:
None More Black – Icons
Kid Dynamite, And The Art Of Moshing Everywhere
The Bouncing Souls “Worst” Album

Buy:
Fat Wreck