Give

Give plays super powerful, melodic post-hardcore. Rites of Spring meets Swiz. I came across these dudes blog-walking one day and download the Boots of Faith 7" on a whim. Hardcore band with a daisy flower as their logo? I couldn't resist. And as I hoped, the daisy flower logo and the name Give are very telling elements to this bands sound. The tone and feel for most of there songs tends to be very positive and progressive, a unique quality in hardcore and post-hardcore. This band deserves some recognition, because they are doing something truly interesting and fresh with their sound. Highly recommended if you're into genre-blurring bands or melodic hardcore. The download below contains:

Boots of Faith 7"
Heaven is Waiting 7"
Self Titled LP

Give - 3 records (DOWNLOAD!)

OFF! - First Four EPs

My buddy Johnny wrote this for me, cuz I'm lazy. Here ya go:

"Listening to this band is like waking up in the hospital after being in a coma for more than 30 years. It is what is. That big "IT" meaning brutally honest DIY punk in its truest form. If you are old enough to remember the SST days then this is like a beer soaked wet dream. While it may be cliche' to use the word "REAL", there is no other word I can find to sum it up. Some may say "retro" or "Old School" but its just honest to goodness PUNK FUCKING ROCK. Led by Keith Morris, the founder of Circle Jerks, and Co-founder of Black Flag. His voice is instantly recognizable. I am curious as to how many of today's punk rock "icons" will be doing this at 55 years old with as much raw unhinged passion as Keith Morris. WRECK-AMMENDED for anyone who wants a REAL fix of 100% punk RAWWK"

OFF! - First Four EP's
Thanks Johnny, and hope to snag you as a recurring author on the blog soon!

Lecherous Gaze

"Rising from the ashes of the almighty ANNIHILATION TIME is Lecherous Gaze, taking the bombastic riffology and adding some Joey Ramone/Jim Morrison/Glenn Danzig type soulful vox. For fans of rock and fucking roll!" - Lumbro

Seriously, riffology to the max. Some of the best music the dudes ever wrote, and while the vocals are considerably different from Annihilation Time, I really dig what the new fella lays on it. But GODDAMN THOSE RIFFS!

 

Audio Testament - 4 song demo
Lecherous Gaze EP - same 4 songs, remastered and re-packaged
Lecherous Gaze/Danava/Earthless Split (2011)

Common Rider - This is Unity Music

So, who remembers Operation Ivy?! Great jams, right? Right. Well, some of you may know that when Operation Ivy disbanded, guitarist Tim Armstrong and bassist Matt Freeman went on to form Rancid. Rancid got their well-deserved time in the sun, playing Warped Tours and what nots. However, Operation Ivy's singer, Jesse Michaels, also started a band after Op Ivy, called Common Rider. Unfortunately, they never saw the same success as Rancid, despite being totally jam-tacular. The music is a really neat Ragga-punk, half ska-half rock mixture. And as the album's title suggests, it is definitely Unity music. Common Rider not only mix several styles in a unity of rock-jam, the lyrics are usually about coming together as humans and righting our various wrongs, as well as other social and political issues. Don't know what else or how else to describe it, but if you like punk, ska, reggae, or just good jams, check this record. Here's a sample for you lazy fucks. (In fact, 2 samples because I couldn't decide....) Link to download is below the vids.





CLICKY CLICKY FOR UNITY JAMZ

No Hope For The Kids

Hailing from Denmark and featuring members of Amde Petersen's Arme and the Young Wasteners, No Hope For the Kids played catchy, melodic punk much akin to bands coming out of the early LA punk scene. I guarantee that you will be singing along to all of the English lyrics. It's fucking impossible not to. Somehow when I did the vinyl rip of my LP, I left off the final two tracks. Bummer i know, but to make up for it, I included their ridiculously good "Das Reich" EP which had the best song they recorded on the B side, entitled Secret Police.

GET IT!!

The National Acrobat - Complete Recordings

Featuring many known suspects from the ever fertile Louisville hardcore/punk/whatever scenes, TNA managed to wallow in relative obscurity while an active, touring and recording outfit, only really gaining any kind of notoriety after their demise. Taking their name from a Sabbath song and drawing on influences from varied and pioneering acts such as Black Flag, Born Against, Jesus Lizard, and Nation of Ulysses. Taking the sounds of those bands and filtering them through that unique Louisville mindset that has created some of the most memorable bands in the last twenty or so years.

The National Acrobat along with more well known bands like Cave-In, Dillinger Escape Plan, Isis and Botch were part of an important reaction to the stagnation of the hardcore scene in the late 90's. Not content to recycle the the same riffs and posturing, they chose to take the foundations that made punk rock and hardcore revolutionary to them and shape it in their own image. A true sonic fury that fans of any of the previously mentioned bands should be able to enjoy.

Get it here!