The Evens - The Odds (2012)

Probably some of you who are reading this have been thinking that this blog was lifeless once and for all. You haven't been totally wrong. Flannel & Beards its been riding the flatline for the past months, and I didn't really have the will to revive it. But there are sometimes that dying things get back on their feet and show a little spark of vitality. Today F&B did this just because there was a big reason for doing it. I just found that The Evens released a new LP and of course this is a huge reason for resuscitation.

After all this boring speech, let's get to what matters. Ian MacKaye and Amy Farina are back 6 long years later with a new LP entitled The Odds. For the ones who are not familiar with this band, it involves Amy Farina at the drums and Ian playing the baritone guitar, both of them singing and the kind of genius that you could expect from post-hardcore Washington d.c. musicians. I could not give an exact definition of how they sound like, because it is just so simple and so rich at the same time that it escapes me. You just have to give it a listen and discern if you enjoy them, what you probably will. And if not, well... I pity you.

1. King of Kings
2. Wanted Criminals
3. I Do Myself
4. Warble Factor
5. Sooner or Later
6. Wonder Why
7. Competing With the Till
8. Broken Finger
9. Architects Sleep
10. Timothy Wright
11. This Other Thing
12. Let's Get Well
13. KOK

Slight Similarities With: Fugazi? The Warmers? None of them?

Download it HERE

Sundials - When I Couldn't Breathe (2012)

 

Lots of releases and leaks this week. Some are freaking out to get the new NOFX album, some other are amazed by the new Gallows and there's some legitimate others who are constantly talking about the new Title Fight LP. But there's another record being released this month that may not catch that amount of attention but in my humble opinion is double worth it. With the terrible news of Spraynard's break-up the world needs some turn on Fortune's wheel and thanks to heaven or Asian Man Records, Sundials have a new album to comfort us and make this bad news easier to swallow.
This new record is not far from their previous releases, they have the same sound and they haven't made so much experimentation, but the compositions are even better this time. Perfect balance of clean and sweet guitars and raw distiortion, lots of great melodies and a way of singing that delights us with its simplicity and softness. This is the perfect piece to cheer us up, give your tortured minds some relax and happiness. Treat yourself.

01. 710
02. New York Crunch
03. When I Couldn't Breathe
04. Seventy-Five
05. Completely Broken
06. Unpredictable
07. Mosby Blues
08. Untitled
09. When I Couldn't Breathe (Reprise)
10. Brain Waves
11. The Mad Stork Makes Another Movie
12. Some Kinda Time
13. Strange

Slight Similarities With: Spraynard, Thousandaires, Bangers.

Download HERE

Propagandhi - Failed States (2012)

Celebrating three decades of life in the political and musical hinterlands, Propagandhi will release their sixth studio album, Failed States, on September 4th. Fans can pre-order Failed States now at The Epitaph Store. Additionally, Propagandhi will kick off a North American tour in September with support from Comback Kid.

Failed States willfully careens between brazen metallic tendencies and the ragged punk rock roots of Propagandhi's earlier work, further raising the lyrical and musical bar set by their critically-acclaimed 2009 release, Supporting Caste.

01. Note to Self
02. Failed States
03. Devil's Creek
04. Rattan Cane
05. Hadron Collision
06. Status Update
07. Cognitive Suicide
08. Things I Like
09. Unscripted Moment
10. Dark Matters
11. Lotus Gait
12. Duplicate Keys Icaro (An Interim Report)

Slight Similarities With: I Spy, Good Riddance, Strung Out

Download it via Skatepunkers

Amarzakill - Albüm EP (2012)

Where did this noise come from? Why does their name sound like "Ten Dicks" in Basque? And why the hell do I love this band so much? The answers are easy. Amarzakill are a thrash punk band from Mugerre (Bayonne), and they kick ass so much that you won't be able to sit after listening to their songs. With members of other awesome bands like Antifun Krieg or Xubung, this four-piece thrashin' machine is perfect for skateboarding, partying and chewin' skulls.

This is their first release and you can download it "name you price" from their Bandcamp page.

01- Master Disastrer
02- Rucks Should Be Forbbiden
03- Doomed By Cresus
04- Usm Maul Machine
05- Burning Alive
06- X-Ray Jesus
07- Forceps Criminal

Slight Similarities With: Municipal Waste, Suicidal Tendencies, Bones Brigade.

Download it from their BANDCAMP PAGE

The Holy Mess - Cande Ru Las Degas (2012)

I've been incredibly lazy about looking for new releases and even lazier about posting them here, but this one deserves to be posted inmediately. The Holy Mess are a band from the musically prolific city of Philadelphia and if you haven't previously tasted their tunes I would say that you're gonna love them if you enjoy bands like The Flatliners, Elway, Banner Pilot or Red City Radio. So energic, so catchy, so sarcastic and so fucking funny that you will put the album on repeat at minute one. This is their first LP and it could never disappoint their previous fans because it keeps the sound and the vibe of their early EP's. You should be grateful by now for this awesome band writing music and making it to your ears. If not, fuck off.

01- My Boring 90′s
02- Within The Range Of A Raven
03- The Saddest Girl To Ever Hold A Martini
04- Cold Goodbyes
05- A Song For Tim Browne To Sing
06- Hospitals
07- Asleep In A Room Full of Dog Shit
08- Half That and Dublin
09- Weren’t No Fun
10- All Those Words

Slight Similarities With: The Flatliners, Elway, Banner Pilot.

Download it HERE (torrent)

The Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten (2012)

I personally have to admit that my hopes for this album were quite low because I didn't really like American Slang, it sounded pretty boring and I didn't really enjoy what TGA delivered in that one. But Handwritten has revived my hopes in this guys and it's always satisfying to re-like some band's work when you really enjoyed them in the past (Sink or Swim and The 59 Sound will always be unbeatable).
But I won't bore you guys with my thoughts in TGA, I prefer that you download this new record and decide for yourselves. Not best album of the year for me, but it is quite good, and Too Much Blood is already one of my favourite TGA songs ever.

Note: It is a rip from NPR and I've read that the last song is cut at minute 2.10 or so; I'll try to find other files, but for the moment it's all I've able to find.

01. 45
02. Handwritten
03. Here Comes My Man
04. Mulholland Drive
05. Keepsake
06. Too Much Blood
07. Howl
08. Biloxi Parish
09. Desire
10. Mae
11. National Anthem

Slight Similarities With: The Horrible Crowes, Bruce Springsteen, Against Me!

Download HERE or HERE or HERE or HERE

Teenage Bottlerocket - Freak Out! (2012)

And more pop-punk for the masses!
Here we got the vanguard of bubblegum riding their skateboards and pleasing our ears with some new tunes and lots of "whoa-oh"s. Always catchy and always fun, Teenage Bottlerocket has just released what its their fifth full-lenght, second one with Fat Wreck Chords. 14 songs of pure pop-punk energy for all the ramones' lovers. Rip it up!

01. Freak Out!
02. Headbanger
03. Cruising For Chicks
04. Necrocomicon
05. Maverick
06. Done With Love
07. Punk House Of Horror
08. Never Gonna Tell You
09. In The Pit
10. Mutilate Me
11. Who Killed Sensei?
12. Radical
13. Summertime
14. Go With The Flow

Slight Similarities With: Screeching Weasel, The Copyrights, Riverdales.

Download it HERE or HERE

Mixtapes - Even on the worst nights (2012)

It's been a while and I'm sorry for not updating the blog so often, but I think this one is going to excuse me pretty well. Because Mixtapes did it once again. Maura, Ryan & Co. are still delivering some of the best male-female fronted kind of pop-punk. This time they don't include many acoustic songs and it's mostly straightforward pop-punk with great vocal melodies and the type of songs that will make your day. It's really awesome to know that some bands haven't changed and still write the kind of music that made us fall in love with them.

01. Seven Mile
02. Something Better
03. Hey Ma PT. 2
04. Even On The Worst Nights
05. You Must Not Be From Around Here
06. You & I
07. I'm Wearing The Device (Bridge, Water)
08. I'll Give You A Hint, Yes
09. Russian House DJ
10. Anyways
11. Indian Summer
12. One For The Ozarks
13. Just When You Thought It Was Over
14. Golden Sometimes
15. Basement Manners
16. Mt. Hope

Slight Similarities With: Direct Hit!, House Boat, The Ergs!

Download HERE, HERE
Or in FLAC -> HERE

Yaw - Atlantida Zuzenean (2012)

Our personal favourites Yaw did a live recording at Atlantida Studios and they have just uploaded it for everyone to get a bite of their music (as they always have). It features two previously unreleased songs that keep all the vibe from their Australia EP. It's still shouted, still music from the heart and mind, still in basque language and still great. Pay special attention to "Kontraesana naiz", something a little bit different from what they usually deliver. You'll fucking love it.

The archive contains all the lyrics in basque, spanish, catalá and galego.

01- Hemengoa lazgarri zait
02- Kontraesana naiz

Slight Similarities With: Touché Amoré, old Gallows, Refused.

Download HERE

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Sport - Demo (2011)

Very interesting band from Lyon, France. They play some kind of post-hardcore with a delicate scent of post-rock but it is really difficult to label it, it's got some emocore influence too. Reminds me of lots of bands in each song, from Iron Chic to Explosions in the sky. Quite wide style. Gruffy voices and clean and delayed riffs.

01. Athènes, 1896
02. Calgary, 1988
03. Cortina d'Ampezzo, 1956
04. Mexico City, 1968
05. Los Angeles, 1984

Slight Similarities With: Iron Chic, Explosions in the sky, Latterman.

Download HERE

Hot Water Music - Exister (2012)

Since "Drag my body" came out to make us salivate like Pavlov's dog, Exister has been one of the most expected albums of this prolific spring. Gainesville, FL's favorite sons are back with the album that will make number ten on their count. No break-ups can stop HWM. New album starts from the top with "Mainline" as if they had never disbanded to come back a year later. Still energic, still heartfelt and still delivering some of the catchies melodies sung by a unique voice.

01. Mainline
02. Boy, You’re Gonna Hurt Someone
03. State Of Grace
04. Drown In It
05. Drag My Body
06. Safety
07. Exister
08. Wrong Way
09. Take No Prisoners
10. Pledge Wore Thin
11. No End Left In Sight
12. The Traps
13. Paid In Full

Slight Similarities With: The Draft, Leatherface, Small Brown Bike.

Download HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE or HERE.

OFF! - OFF! (2012)

Hardcore punk. Hardcore punk. Hardcore punk. That's it. Great as the first EP compilation. Keith Morris and his guys playing rabid punk rock. No bullshit. Just fine hardcore. They're not fucking around.

01 Wiped Out
02 I Got News For You
03 Elimination
04 Cracked
05 Wrong
06 Borrow and Bomb
07 Toxic Box
08 Man From Nowhere
09 Jet Black Girls
10 King Kong Brigade
11 Harbor Freeway Blues
12 Feelings Are Meant to Be Hurt
13 Vaporized
14 503
15 Zero for Conduct
16 I Need One (I Want One)

Slight Similarities With: Circle Jerks, Black Flag, No Friends.

Download HERE

Cancer Bats - Dead Set On Living (2012)

I post this once again 'cause it was removed due to DMCA shit. Let's hope it lasts longer this time. You already know that's great so click to download right now!

01. R.A.T.S.
02. Bricks And Mortar
03. Road Sick
04. Breathe Armageddon
05. Dead Set On Living
06. The Void
07. Old Blood
08. Drunken Physics
09. Bastards
10. Rally The Wicked
11. New World Alliance

Slight Similarities With: The Ghost Of A Thousand, Gallows, The Bronx.

Download HERE

Ihes Naiz - Fulland (2012)

Another great band coming from the rainy lands of the Basque Country. This time the guys come from Zarautz (Gipuzkoa) and I label them as "Basque Jawbreaker" even thought they don't sound exactly like the legendary american band. But they've got a lot of influence from Schwarzenbach and his descendants, apart from other punk rock and emo acts. Definately their sound is built up on lots of 90's punk rock and vocal melodies are essential part of their style with all lyrics in Basque language. Sometimes they are close to Face To Face's melodic hardcore too, memories from the previous bands of its members (Harlore, Mantisa). Give it a try because they have put a lot of emotion and affection in this record and it is totally worth it.

01- Fulland
02- Ez Naiz Dirudien Gizona
03- Beirazko Panpinak
04- Garai Txarretan
05- Ametsa Amaitzean
06- Eskola

Slight Similarities With: Jawbreaker, Samiam, Face To Face

Download HERE

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Spraynard - To Mitch 7" (2012)

Two new songs from our West Chester favourites, released on vinyl by Yo Yo Records. One of the is a cover of "Our Retired Explorer" originally by The Weakerthans. You already know that we are totally mad about these guys and we would be pleased to bring you new music from them every month. Here's a little bit while we hope to hear more from them soon.

01. Until The Next Time
02. Our Retired Explorer (Orig. By The Weakerthans)

Slight Similarities With: Latterman, Iron Chic, RVIVR

Download link courtesy of Melodic Bears Crew. Click HERE

Rocky Votolato - Television Of Saints (2012)

We haven't had a lot of singer-songwriter releases lately so here's something worth the waiting. Rocky Votolato is back with another great record that will make you want to lay down the weapons and take some time to breathe. Sit down, have a tea and listen to this beautiful melodies.

01. Little Spring
02. Ghost Writer
03. Fool’s Gold
04. Above The Water
05. Sunlight
06. Television Of Saints
07. Start Over
08. Sparks
09. Writing Fiction
10. Crooked Arrows
11. Let Go
12. St. Louis
13. Disguises
14. Instrument

Slight Similarities With: David Bazan, Austin Lucas, Tim Barry

Download HERE

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Joyce Manor - Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired (2012)

Hard to label this. Not punk, not indie, not hardcore but a mixture of all the previous and some ingredients more. I like this one more than the self titled. It's shorter and funnier in my humble opinion. Punknews gave the #1 in the staff's list, I don't really know if that matters so much but just in case you should download it and check it out yourself. Worth it.

01. These Kind of Ice Skates
02. Comfortable Clothes
03. See How Tame I Can Be
04. Drainage
05. Video Killed The Radio Star
06. If I Needed You There
07. Bride of Usher
08. Violent Inside
09. I'm Always Tired

Slight Similarities With: Seahaven, Spraynard, Daytrader

Download HERE

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Municipal Waste - The Fatal Feast (2012)

Richmond is raising up from hell today 'cause MW's new album leaked! If you were waiting for new full-throttled wall-thrasin' guitar riffs and alcohol/mutant/killing/comedic lyrics, today's your lucky day. Tony Foresta and company are back with a new record that will make you want to light your hometown bowl on fire and skate all the corpses that you throw into it.

01 – Waste In Space (Main Title)
02 – Repossession
03 – New Dead Masters
04 – Unholy Abductor
05 – Idiot Check
06 – Covered In SickThe Barfer
07 – You’re Cut Off
08 – Authority Complex
09 – Standards and Practices
10 – Crushing Chest Wound
11 – The Monster With 21 Faces
12 – Jesus Freaks
13 – The Fatal Feast
14 – 12 Step Program
15 – Eviction Party (Bonus)
16 – Death Tax
17 – Residential Disaster

Slight Similarities With: DRI, Toxic Holocaust, Suicidal Tendencies

Download HERE or HERE

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Sharks - No Gods (2012)

First I have to admit that Sharks are not the same they were before. This doesn't mean that they suck now or that they keep nothing of their roots, don't get me wrong. They've made some changes in this record, starting with the jump to major, meaning better sound and better production. And that's the first thing I don't like, because I loved how Sharks had a dirty sound but they were elegant and neat at the same time. The thing that stuck them to the punk roots, to that husky strummer voice that James had and now has turned into a bright and clean chant. The guitar riffs are still accurate and colorful and they still know how to build epic choruses, but the compositions have gone to the indie side of indie punk. This is a good record, totally worth downloading and listening to (otherwise, we wouldn't be posting it) but you have to realize that some things have changed, and it's up to you to decide if it's getting better or not. Your call.

01. 'Til The Wonders Rise
02. Arcane Effigies
03. Able Moving Hearts
04. On A Clear Day You Can See Yourself
05. Matthew's Baby
06. Patient Spider
07. Turn To You
08. Dawn Soft Light
09. What Entails?
10. Luck
11. No Gods

Slight Similarities With: The Gaslight Anthem, The Menzingers, The Clash

Donload it HERE or HERE

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Spraynard - Exton Square EP (2012)

Finally it leaked and we were there to get the link and provide you with 4 new songs from our West Chester's favorites. Funtitled was one of the greatest records of 2011 and this EP keeps the feelings that the previous work created. Heartfelt, sincere and unique with a matured Spraynard sound, putting some more distance between the Latterman label that flies over all these kind of bands. Positiveness even in the saddest songs, lots of controlled energy and a bright future for our favorite trio.

01. Can I Borrow a Feeling?
02. You Can't Get There From Here
03. Trembling
04. Intents and Purposes (Three Words)

Slight Similarities With: Latterman, Iron Chic, RVIVR

Download courtesy of Melodic Bears Crew

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