(Hitler learns he’s not on Grey Area’s guest list…I found this while looking for Grey Area on youtube. I love the internet.)

Yesterday was completely ridiculous. After heading to the Philly’s piazza to watch a free Newfound Glory show (I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many fights break out), then Philly’s shit show “Makeout Club”, I headed over to the Fire to catch melodic hardcore legends Grey Area.

Unfortunately I missed all of the openers sets except the last two by The Reveling (to which I requested Ironbound, and was informed they already played it… that’s what I get for being late) but caught all of Grey Area.

Grey Area

The Fire was the most intimate place I’ve seen Grey Area play, and I was pretty damn excited (so much so that I bought tickets the day they went on sale out of fear it was going to sell out. It didn’t.) Grey Area took the stage and immediately started playing… Cannonball. Uh, ok, strange choice for an opener, but we were singing along. It wasn’t until they started their next song Insomnia that we got all rowdy and went batshit crazy. They kept it up, playing tight and fast (that’s what she said), and covered songs from all of their releases.

The band bantered with the crowd a bunch, Ernie informing us he broke a rib at their last show (I couldn’t tell if he was serious or not), and when someone yelled “NY Giants Suck!” the band was quick to quip back “who said that? Must be a dude with glasses and a beard… oh wait…”

I wish they would play more often, but with them putting out 4 new songs in the past year, I won’t complain (too much).

Setlist:
Cannonball
Insomnia
Sour Grapes
Hold On Tight
——————-
No Guarantees
Reminder
Take My Chances
Rotten Eggs
——————
Lucky
Bad Anything
(Sick Of It All cover I think)
——————
Bliss
Before Me
Colossus

Encore:
As One (Warzone Cover) (I think)

Mp3:
Grey Area – Lucky

More:
Grey Area 4 Way Split
Grey Area / Go Rydell Split

Buy:
Black Numbers

If there is one band that always manages to surprise the hell out of me, it’s Fucked Up. I remember listening to their demo and Epic in Minutes back when it came out and thinking they were pretty solid hardcore band, but not the messiahs of hardcore many were touting them to be. Now ten years later they release “David Comes To Life” and not only are the ‘too cool for school’ writers at Pitchfork collectively jizzing their pants over it, it’s listed as #83 of Billboard’s Top 200 of 2011… Kudos Fucked Up… kudos.

To be honest, I haven’t listened to anything by Fucked Up since their compilation retrospective “Epic In Minutes”, and it is a LOT different than the blistering hardcore I was used to from these Toronto punks. For starters, David Comes To Life is for lack of a better term: a rock opera. On the surface, the entire 18 song album is about light bulb factory worker David, his new love Veronica, them conspiring to build a bomb together, her dying in the process, his guilt, battling the narrator for control, and redemption. Of course the whole thing is symbolic as stated by singer Damian “we could hide behind characters and pretend that we’re talking about David and Veronica when really we’re talking about my breaking with my girlfriend or something”. Some of the lyrics are incredibly witty “we need a Peter / we get a Paul / at least Judas had some balls.”

Ok, so how about the actual music? For starters, there’s a lot more pop elements involved. Fucked Up has long stopped touting the hardcore flag, and it’s a lot more rock with hardcore influences than straight up hardcore with Damian’s rough punk vocals being the biggest mainstay (I just used hardcore three times in a sentence, new record.) Still, the music is incredibly catchy although with 18 songs at 77 minutes, the album definitely gets pretty repetitious at times and is not really made to be listened to in one sitting.

Very different from the hardcore I’m used to, I give Fucked Up credit for going out on a limb and trying something different. It’s refreshing to see a different topic for an album than the often overplayed ones found in hardcore (we’re looking at you every straight edge band out there). One of the very few hardcore bands hipsters are allowed to like (along with Trash Talk, and soon to be Ceremony), definitely give Fucked Up a chance, some catchy songs in here.

MP3:
Fucked Up – Queen Of Hearts

More:
Trash Talk – Plagues
Ceremony – Violence Violence
Ceremony – Rohnert Park

Buy:
Album Website

If I can sum up Dangers “Messy Isn’t It” in one word, it would be ‘uneasy’. Just looking at the album art should give an impression as to what to expect: raw and challenging. The album opens immediately challenging the listener “why didn’t you kill yourself today…Prove to me that the air you breathe wasn’t better served by the leaves of a tree”.

Playing furious and incredibly aggressive hardcore, Dangers 19 song (well, with two interludes) in 35 minutes album is easily becoming one of my favorite hardcore releases. If their previous album “Anger” was a complete take-no-prisoners-kill-all-women-and-children assault, Messy is a much more aggressive but more calculated aggression. In between the blazing fast hardcore (songs like I’ll Clap When I’m Impressed and Straight As She Wants To Be) lie mid-tempo jams like Teenage Porno Hunter and Cure For Aids.

If you’re a fan of hardcore, Messy Isn’t It is a must have. Dangers is easily one of the most underrated hardcore bands around, and anyone who likes Ceremony or Punch.

MP3:
Dangers – I’ll Clap When I’m Impressed

More:
Dangers – Anger
Dangers – Demo
Ceremony – Violence Violence
Punch – Self Titled

Buy:
Dangers

Like a gang-bang porn, sometimes 4 artists come together to create something incredibly beautiful. When I heard that Black Numbers was releasing a 4 way split between Grey Area, The Reveling, The Copyrights, and Luther, the word anticipation would be an understatement. Shit, I would have picked this up for the two Grey Area tracks alone even if the rest of the songs were flatulence as performed by Duran Duran, but instead each of the two songs by each band are worth checking out.

The split kicks off with “Lucky” and “Bad Anything” the first two by Grey Area. It’s always great to hear anything new by these guys, and both songs are solid, more mid-tempo jams (they could even pass as Higher Giant songs).

The Reveling’s two contributions are incredibly catchy, and pick up right where the band left off with Tributaries (and the guitar melody in It’s “Time To Ride” is nothing short of addicting). Fans of the band or fans of the Menzingers need to check this out.

Next up are pop-punk kings, The Copyrights. Contributing one original (“The New Frontier”) and one Scared Of Chaka cover (“Straight To The Office”), both songs are like The Copyright’s older stuff: fast, Ramones influenced, and catchy as all fuck.

Finally Luther closes out the split. To be completely honest, I wasn’t a huge fan of their full-length, it wasn’t bad by any means, just a lot slower than I personally like. With that being said, I wasn’t sure what to expect with their two contributions. I must say I was pleasantly surprised by both “Sixty-One” and “The Door Is A Penthouse”. Both songs are the slowest jams on the album, but I am really digging them. Luther mixes melodic punk rock with what almost sounds like 90s alternative rock at points, and it works well.

Definitely pick this split up, it’s rare for a split to be this damn consistent. And maybe I’ll see some of you at the Philly release show for this?

MP3:
Grey Area – Lucky

More Punk Rock:
Grey Area / Go Rydell Split
The Copyrights – North Sentinel Island
The Copyrights – Mutiny Pop
The Reveling – 3d Radio
The Reveling – Tributaries

Buy:
Black Numbers

So you’ve probably heard about the whole SOPA/PIPA mess going on. It’s gotten bad enough to the point where major companies like google and craigslist are taking a stand on it. Pretty much, imagine if you’re grandparents tried to “fix” the internet. It’s sort of like that. And YOU can make a difference.

What is this nonsense?

SOPA is the House’s version of the bill, and PIPA is Senate’s. Both bills were designed to stop internet piracy, but they are incredibly flawed.

What’s Wrong With Them?

Both of these bills are ripe for abuse, and groups such as the RIAA have abused bills like this in the past. A perfect example is when I posted a negative review of Rise Against’s latest album. I didn’t post any mp3s or any infringing content, simply a negative review. My blog post got deleted and Housewives was threatened to be taken down completely because the RIAA contacted Google and told them I was infringing (again, there were no MP3s). Censorship at it’s finest.

Sites like facebook and reddit would also shut down. Think we’re being dramatic? Let’s say someone on facebook posts a link to a website with infringing content. Guess who’s held responsible? Yup. It’s Facebook. And you can guarantee that your favorite blogs would completely shutdown (including Midwestern Housewives).

You know the whole “great firewall of china” thing where people in china have certain sites blocked by the government? It’s really laying the groundworks for that.

This Would Never Pass!

Bad news. The majority of senators and congressmen are supporting these bills, some because they are uninformed… others because their biggest lobbyists are from the media industry who essentially wrote these bills.

Shit, What Can I Do To Stop It?

Call your senator or congressman. Seriously. Just fucking do it already. I just got off the phone with mine, and one of them actually switched their position from favoring it to against it because of all the citizen pressure. We can make a difference, and I just spoke to one of the co-sponsors of the bill, and they are becoming more hesitant to keep their name attached to it simply because they are learning it may cost them a re-election. Their exact words were “we’re still waiting to hear from more constituents.”

The call took me less than 5 minutes. Look up your politicians info, and stand up against censorship.

But I Don’t Know What To Say!

I was worried about this too, but if I can do it, trust me… you can as well. I simply said

“Hello, my name is [your name here], and I am a constituent of [insert senator here] residing in zip code [your zipcode here], and I am calling to urge my senator to vote against PIPA (or SOPA if you’re calling a congressman). Where does he stand on the issue?”

They would then tell me they were for it, and I would reply:

“Well I just want to make senator aware of the ramifications of the bill. For one as it is written, the bill is open to potential for abuse. Secondly it will hurt E-commerce and the economy due to companies shutting down due to loss of jobs.”

Take 5 minutes of your time now to call, a few senators have already switched their positions due to public outcry, and many are on the fence still.

MP3:
Propagandhi – Bullshit Politicians
Hummungus – Censorship
Bouncing Souls – Fight to Live
The Virus – Still Fighting For A Future

More Resources:
3 Co-sponsors Drop Their Name From Bill Due To Public Outcry
Electronic Frontier Foundation

Buy:
Interpunk

Originally hailing from NJ, I’ve been a Bigwig fan for a VERY long time, yet I realized that I haven’t posted one of my favorite albums by them. In the interest of not failing my home state (and by consequence, not having defender of NJ Danny Devito come by and kick me in the balls), let me just state that Bigwig’s Invitation To Tragedy is an essential.

Released over 10 years ago back in 2001 (shit, that’s a sobering thought), I remember logging many skate hours to the beautiful sounds of ITT. Blending lightning quick skate punk similar to Good Riddance and older Propagandhi with intricate guitar lines and driving bass and drums with poignant lyrics, these guys are a punk’s wet dream.

Songs like Mr. Asshole and Sink or Swim are simply like a shot of speed straight into your neck vein, while in contrast, songs like Moosh are a more light-hearted mid-tempo (well, mid tempo for Bigwig) anthem (and Cold and Alone in NJ is a song that I personally can relate to a little too much…)

Seriously, this would be in my top 100 albums ever released, just check it out. Also, for the love of [insert deity of your choice here], if they play a live show ever… let me know. Bigwig is on my musical bucket list and I am embarrassed to say that for as long as I’ve been listening to them and even living NJ, I never had a chance to see them. Fuck, even my non-punk fan ex has seen them… twice.

MP3:
Bigwig – Mr. Asshole

More Dude:
Bigwig – Stay Asleep (My favorite Bigwig Album)
Bigwig – Reclamation

Buy:
Bigwig

Atlanta’s The Wild have been getting a lot of press as of late. I never got to check out any of their albums, but I am loving their split with Run Forever.

The split starts with the folksy ballad “Street Names” and the incredibly catchy harmonica driven, dual male/female vocals of “To Be Content”. Besides the fact that “Street Names” starts off like Taking Back Sunday’s “Cute Without The E”*, it’s very reminiscent of Mischief Brew or older Against Me. The split then takes a 90 degree turn (not exactly a complete 180) with the next two by Pittsburgh’s Run, Forever.

On this split, Run, Forever contributes the incredibly catchy mid-tempo punk anthems of “Silver Screens” and “Young Pioneers”. Not only can these guys write a catchy melody, I found myself really digging their lyrics as well (And I’m so scared of growing up, and dying young… I go back and forth between each one). They almost remind of The Bouncing Souls a bit.

Definitely worth picking up, even for the Run, Forever side alone. Definitely got me interested in checking out both bands respective full releases.

*Fuck you, I have grown to really like Cute Without The E. The me of 2003 would be so disappointed in myself.

MP3:
Run, Forever – Silver Screens

More shit you need to check out:
Bouncing Souls Worst Album
Mischief Brew

Buy:
If You Make It

Brooklyn NY. Usually associated with hipsters, mobsters telling you “fuhgeddaboutit”, and now one of the most solid new melodic hardcore bands I’ve heard in a while. Man The Change released their either incredibly long or incredibly short 8 song “Weather The Storm” last year, and I’ve been listening to it nonstop as of late.

Pulling from a grab bag of punk rock influences, I hear traces of melodic hardcore, skate punk, and pop-punk within the 8 songs. Plenty of whoa’s, breakdowns, and gang vocals, Man The Change delivers ridiculously catchy and fast paced punk rock that is sure to get any fan of Good Riddance or Satanic Surfers hooked.

Sure, there may be nothing groundbreaking about Weather The Storm, but if you’re looking for catchy melodies and fun punk rock, pick this up.

MP3:
Man The Change – Rambo vs Bas Rutten

You Know You Love It:
Strike Anywhere – Change Is Sound
Nofx – Coaster
They Stay Dead – EP

Buy:
Man The Change

Man, it felt like this show would never come. Buying tickets for a friend and I back in October (which immediately sold out), it’s been a long wait, but I finally got to see Lifetime again on Sunday in the First Unitarian Church. I’ve been listening to these guys forever, but I didn’t really start truly appreciating them as much as I do now until the past few years.

I completely missed Iron Chic, and decided gummy bears were really important at that given time and also missed the majority of Title Fight as well (if you’re out of town and come to the church for a show, go to the convenience store a few blocks on chestnut… that place is crucial.

Lifetime

It’s been too long since the last time I saw my home state’s Lifetime, and it was good to see them in a smaller venue as opposed to the Electric Factory. The band took the stage and immediately kicked into Turnpike Gates, to which the stage dives, pits, and pile ons immediately started. The crowd energy slowed down quite a bit because, hey… Lifetime fans are old and our backs just can’t handle two-stepping that long anymore.

They played a tight set with songs off 3 releases, getting the biggest responses off of Hello Bastards and Jersey’s Best Dancers. The set seemed really short, but that is probably just because I can’t get enough Lifetime (and they played Neutral Territory, so it’s a complete win in my book). I know it’s doubtful, but I’m hoping they become more active and play a few more one-off shows in the area (without the 4-5 year wait).

Setlist:

Turnpike Gates
Airport Monday Morning
(The Gym Is) Neutral Territory
—————————————
Daneurysm
Rodeo Clown
Just A Quiet Evening
—————————————
Northbound Breakdown
Young, Loud, Scotty
Irony Is For Suckers
——————————
The Boys No Good
Haircuts and T-Shirts
Bringin It Backwards
——————————
Knives Bats New Tats
The Truth About Lars
Hey Catrine
——————————
Spiders In The Dark
Ostrichized

Encore:
25 Cent Giraffes

Mp3:
Lifetime – Daneurysm

More:
Saves The Day – Can’t Slow Down
Kid Dynamite, And The Art Of Moshing Everywhere
Kid Dynamite – Shorter Faster Louder
Crucial Dudes – 61 Penn

Buy:
Jade Tree

I figured you were all so busy reading other lists, that once we were a week into 2012, you’d be suffering list withdrawal and BAM, housewives have the crack you need. That’s how we roll.

What a year in punk music. I got a chance to see Kid Dynamite and American Nightmare again, was at Government Warning’s last show, got to meet a bunch of cool kids and new bands, broke some bones at shows (surgeon said it’s going to be a lifelong injury… fuck that. Typing this one handed as we speak).

There were plenty of good albums and EPs to come out in 2011, many which I still need to check out (cough Static Radio cough), but without further ado, here are my 10 favorite releases in 2011.

10. Banquets – Top Button Bottom Shelf

Catchy melodic punk that has saved my ass in traffic many times when my mp3 player battery died (kept the cd in my car). Nothing like screaming “I’m petty-full, I pissed in your garden now nothing’s gonna grow” at the top of your lungs. If you like The Menzingers (and who doesn’t?) check this out.

MP3: Banquets – Forever Bender
Buy: Banquets

9. Protest The Hero – Scurrilous

Finally, a band that both me and my metalhead friends can agree on. Picking up where Fortress left off, I’m always amazed by the pure consistency of the albums PTH releases. Scurrilous is technical, heavy, and impossible for me to play any 4 measures on guitar.

MP3: Protest the Hero – C’est La Vie
Buy: Official Site

8. Campaign – Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

If I had to describe Campaign’s self release in one word, it would be this: beardy. Gruff, beer drenched, and Hot Water Music inspired, this is the shit kids over at punknews get chubbys over. You should too, it’s fucking good.

Mp3: Campaign – Old Blues
Buy: Campaign Myspace

7. Crucial Dudes – 61 Penn

It’s really rare for me to like bands in this particular genre of pop-punk. Maybe it’s because I’ve been attending emo/pop-punk dance parties lately (philly’s makeout club anyone?) but I completely love Crucial Dudes 2011 release. Reminiscent of incredibly old Saves The Day and Lifetime with enough punk edge to keep this guy interested.

Mp3: Crucial Dudes – 61 Penn
Buy: Jump Start

6. Cerebral Ballzy – Self Titled

I’m definitely going to get shit for this one. Yeah, I don’t care if they are the “hipsters” of punk or whatever. I don’t care if they are on Cartoon Network’s music label. Shit I don’t even care they have one of the most unfortunate names ever in punk rock. These Brooklyn dudes play high energy 80s influenced hardcore, and they pull it off fucking well, regardless of anything else. If you like fast hardcore to skate to, these guys are worth your time. Nuff said.

MP3: Cerebral Ballzy – Puke Song
Buy: Cerebral Ballzy

5. The Copyrights – North Sentinel Island

What the fuck? There is sure a lot of pop-punk on this list for someone who listens to a lot of hardcore… The Copyrights changed things up a bit on NSI, opting for a slightly darker, moodier blend of punk than previous releases, and it gave us one of the catchiest Copyrights albums to date. Definitely a grower.

Mp3: The Copyrights – Trustees Of Modern Chemistry
Buy: Red Scare

4. World Inferno Friendship Society – The Anarchy And The Ecstasy

Speaking of growers, World Inferno released an album in 2011 that received many mixed reviews, with some fans saying that they completely abandoned their roots, while others say the roots are just more subtle. It took me a few listens to get really into it, but I have to say, I love World Inferno’s latest. The cabaret punks slow it down a little bit to create some of the catchiest ballads they’ve ever written, period. They still have some of life’s most important lessons in their songs too (“Learn to burn bridges. Get good at it”).

Mp3: World Inferno Friendship Society – I Am Sick Of People Being Sick Of My Shit
Buy: Chunksaah

3. The Haverchucks – Demo

Technically released in December of 2010, I’m counting it since it was so close to the start of 2011. I got an email from these Richmond dudes telling me that I should check out their demo, and I am so glad I did. Three chord driven punk rock in the veins of The Ramones, Teenage Bottlerocket, other countless great bands. Their Self Titled EP released was solid also, but I just fucking love the demo.

MP3: The Haverchucks – Allison Don’t Love Me Anymore
Buy: The Haverchucks

2. Lighten Up – Where Fun Goes To Die

True story: I told some girl her soul must be where fun goes to die, and almost got slapped. Anyway, Philly’s finest Lighten Up continued their trend of Kid Dynamite/Paint it Black influenced hardcore and takes it a step further on their EP. The band includes some more rock and roll influences on Where Fun Goes To Die, and it works so well that my only complaint is that the EP isn’t longer… oh and that they pretty much broke up.

MP3: Lighten Up – Same Shirt, Different Day
Buy: Runner Up Records

1. Hold Tight – Call The Zoo

If I had to rank these by pure play counts, Richmond’s Hold Tight’s Call The Zoo EP is easily the #1 spot. I’ve played this EP so fucking much in the past year, I’m sure my non-punk fan friends know all the lyrics by now. However, I don’t have to rank it by play counts, and it still gets my #1. It’s fast, catchy, and not a single song hits the minute mark. Definitely check this one out.

Mp3: Hold Tight – $122.50
Buy: Hold Tight

There are a crapload of releases I need to check out from 2011 that I haven’t gotten around to yet (including ones from Fucked Up, Hot Water Music, Punch, and Teenage Bottlerocket to name a few), but now that you lovers know mine, I’d love to hear what your favorite releases are.

Past Lists:
The Top 11 Albums of 2010
The 10 Best Albums of 2009! (No Paramore, I Swear)…
Best Of 2008
Best Of 2007