Mayan Urine
Hey all, it's been awhile since I rapped at ya, but I been real busy.
Alright, finally ready to post my "Best of 2013" compilation, albeit 3.5 weeks late. Here goes:
1. AFI - "I Hope You Suffer" (Burials)
The first single from the album, and the first new AFI song I had heard since 2009. I wasn't too into their 2009 album, Crash Love, and I'm not enamored with Burials, but it's a good listen. I liked that this track had a bit more teeth in the vocals (which, duh, the song's called "I Hope You Suffer"). The absence of any aggression in Crash Love is one of the reasons I wasn't super into it.
2. Bars of Gold - "Coffee With Pele" (Wheels)
Did you know that the singer of Bear Vs. Shark was in another band? I did, but I didn't pay much attention to them. Stupid me, because their second album, Wheels, is great. Bars of Gold is a bit more dialed back than Bear Vs. Shark, but Wheels is a strong album all the way through.
3. NOFX - "Stoke Extinguisher" (Stoke Extinguisher 7")
I'll never complain about the rate at which NOFX has been releasing new material over the last few years; it seems like they put out at least one or two 7"s/EPs a year when they aren't releasing a full-length. However, their 7"s/EPs tend to feature better songs than anything that appears on their full-lengths. This 7" is no exception. They're not reinventing the wheel, but it is another strong song.
4. Wesley Bright and the Hi-Lites - "Tell Me" (Tell Me 7")
The pride of Akron, Ohio. Electric live show, and I'm stoked they finally released some of their material digitally (their previous 7" was vinyl-only). Oh, you didn't know? Your ass better call somebody!
5. Western Addiction - "My Opinion Is, I Hate It" (Pines 7")
Western Addiction released one of my favorite albums on Fat Wreck Chords back in 2005 - fast, aggressive, 80s-styled hardcore. They didn't tour much behind the release outside of the west coast and then they went on hiatus shortly thereafter, as the singer wanted to concentrate on raising his child (admirable!). They came back in 2013 with the Pines 7", picking up right where they left off. Hopefully this precedes a full-length in 2014.
6. The Bronx - "Too Many Devils" (Bronx IV)
Upon my first few listens to Bronx IV, I thought the band was sorta dialing it in. The lyrics largely follow an alternate rhyme scheme, which leads to melodic predictability and gets old pretty quickly. With additional listens I realized there is far more depth to this album than I had originally given it credit for. Not as frantic or aggressive as some of their previous material, but still highly enjoyable.
7. Eternities - "Holding the Sun" (The Golden Age EP)
Remember how I raved about Kent, Ohio's Dog Days in 2012, only to get pissed that they broke up before they could get any due attention? Well, three of the guys went on to form Eternities. Far less aggressive/heavy than Dog Days, but definitely has some teeth. I get a Vheissu-era Thrice vibe, mixed in with a little Deftones.
8. Teenage Bottlerocket - "Via Munich" (American Deutsch Bag 7")
Apparently this song originally appeared on a Tony Sly (of No Use For A Name fame) solo album. I don't mean to disrespect the dead at all, but this is just further proof to me that Tony Sly had a knack for writing great, catchy songs, but couldn't quite pull them off himself.
9. Puig Destroyer - "First to Third" (Wait For Spring EP)
I stumbled upon this band earlier this month, but I'm including them on this comp anyway. Riley Breckenridge from Thrice, Mike Minnick from Curl Up and Die, and some other guys from bands I don't recognize started a baseball-themed hardcore/"grindcore" band. It's preeeeetty pretty funny, preeeeetty pretty fast, preeeeetty heavy, and reeeeeally really good.
10. Modern Life Is War - "Cracked Sidewalk Surfer" (Fever Hunting)
Oh! Hey! Modern Life Is War got back together! Fever Hunting rules. Their 2005 album Witness ranks among one of my favorite albums of all time, but their follow-up, 2007's Midnight In America, couldn't sock it to me. This one socks it to me. I love when hardcore bands write really fast, simplistic punk rock songs, which is what "Cracked Sidewalk Surfer" is.
11. Tegan and Sara - "Closer" (Heartthrob)
Tegan and Sara wrote a straight-up pop/dance album. I may not like it as much as some of their older material, but it is still very, very good.
12. Paint It Black - "Greetings, Fellow Insomniacs" (Invisible 7")
I wish Paint It Black would just release another full-length. The 7"s are cool (and Invisible is possibly the best of the three they have released since 2009), but just put out a full-length.
13. Enabler - "Shift of Redemption" (Shift of Redemption 7")
I got super, SUPER into Enabler's All Hail The Void in 2012. Enabler put out two really great EPs in 2013, the abovementioned Shift of Redemption and Flies. They're one of my favorite bands that I've discovered over the last year or so.
14. Shai Hulud - "Reach Beyond The Sun" (Reach Beyond The Sun)
I always thought Shai Hulud was cool, but favored their side project Zombie Apocalypse. I probably wouldn't have paid much attention to this album had they not re-enlisted their first singer, Chad Gilbert (of New Found Glory fame), on vocals. I still prefer the speed of Zombie Apocalypse to the chuggy-ness of Shai Hulud, but this was one of my favorite overall albums of 2013.
15. Less Than Jake - "A Short History Lesson" (See The Light)
I like this album okay. I bought it back in November at the Fat Wreck Chords Tour at the Agora, so I'm not super, super familiar with it because it didn't immediately grab me and was thus relegated to the "will listen to more intensely later" pile. This song is good though.
16. This Is Hell - "The Enforcer" (The Enforcer 7")
If you like early (more hardcore-influenced) This Is Hell, you might not be so into this. If you're into later (more metal-influenced) This Is Hell, you will probably be into this. I like all eras of the band, and I think this is great!
17. Streetlight Manifesto - "If Only For Memories" (The Hands That Thieve)
So what if it's 2013 (now 2014!) and I still like ska? Band rules.
18. Cancer Bats - "Children of the Grave" (Bat Sabbath - Bastards of Reality EP)
If anyone actually read this I'm sure I'd get a lot of hate for this, but I never got super into Black Sabbath. Just never really cared for them, and I've never thought anyone should suck off bands just because they are influential. That said, I am really into this Bat Sabbath EP, where Cancer Bats covered a bunch of Black Sabbath songs. As far as I can tell, they're pretty straight-up covers, but put through the Cancer Bats filter I find them far more palatable.
19. Coheed and Cambria - "Dark Side of Me" (The Afterman: Descension)
Hoooo boy have Coheed and Cambria just killed it on their last two albums. The Afterman: Descension came out a few months after The Afterman: Ascension, so it was released pretty early on in 2013. Really great stuff though - has some of the classic Coheed and Cambria melodies and guitar work that initially endeared me to them, while some of the weirder, more electronic sounds that were introduced in their later material also pops up and is really deftly utilized (see: "Number City," which nearly edged out "Dark Side of Me" on this comp.).
20. Protest The Hero - "Skies" (Volition)
I backed Protest The Hero's "IndieGoGo" campaign back in February of 2013, which they started to fund the recording of this album (they were let go by Vagrant Records due to poor album sales) and release it themselves. I didn't actually get this album until late November, I think...? That's a long fucking wait between albums. It was really worth the wait, though. Without going back to reread, I feel like this is a theme for a lot of other songs/albums that I have mentioned on this list, but I wasn't super into their last album, Scurrilous, and I feel like this is a great return to form. One thing that bugged me about Scurrilous was that their singer started writing their lyrics instead of their bassist (who had written lyrics for their first two albums) and I felt like, as a result, the delivery/melodies weren't as strong because of the singer's new focus on lyrics, but the lyrics also weren't as interesting/badass as their first two full-lengths (which were concept albums). The bassist didn't write the lyrics for this album either, but I feel like the singer was much better at strengthening the lyrics and the melodies this time around.
Anyway, if you're interested, you can get the comp here.
Treat others how you'd like to be treated. You're beautiful. Peace.
Yours, etc.,
<3dane
xoxo
Alright, finally ready to post my "Best of 2013" compilation, albeit 3.5 weeks late. Here goes:
1. AFI - "I Hope You Suffer" (Burials)
The first single from the album, and the first new AFI song I had heard since 2009. I wasn't too into their 2009 album, Crash Love, and I'm not enamored with Burials, but it's a good listen. I liked that this track had a bit more teeth in the vocals (which, duh, the song's called "I Hope You Suffer"). The absence of any aggression in Crash Love is one of the reasons I wasn't super into it.
2. Bars of Gold - "Coffee With Pele" (Wheels)
Did you know that the singer of Bear Vs. Shark was in another band? I did, but I didn't pay much attention to them. Stupid me, because their second album, Wheels, is great. Bars of Gold is a bit more dialed back than Bear Vs. Shark, but Wheels is a strong album all the way through.
3. NOFX - "Stoke Extinguisher" (Stoke Extinguisher 7")
I'll never complain about the rate at which NOFX has been releasing new material over the last few years; it seems like they put out at least one or two 7"s/EPs a year when they aren't releasing a full-length. However, their 7"s/EPs tend to feature better songs than anything that appears on their full-lengths. This 7" is no exception. They're not reinventing the wheel, but it is another strong song.
4. Wesley Bright and the Hi-Lites - "Tell Me" (Tell Me 7")
The pride of Akron, Ohio. Electric live show, and I'm stoked they finally released some of their material digitally (their previous 7" was vinyl-only). Oh, you didn't know? Your ass better call somebody!
5. Western Addiction - "My Opinion Is, I Hate It" (Pines 7")
Western Addiction released one of my favorite albums on Fat Wreck Chords back in 2005 - fast, aggressive, 80s-styled hardcore. They didn't tour much behind the release outside of the west coast and then they went on hiatus shortly thereafter, as the singer wanted to concentrate on raising his child (admirable!). They came back in 2013 with the Pines 7", picking up right where they left off. Hopefully this precedes a full-length in 2014.
6. The Bronx - "Too Many Devils" (Bronx IV)
Upon my first few listens to Bronx IV, I thought the band was sorta dialing it in. The lyrics largely follow an alternate rhyme scheme, which leads to melodic predictability and gets old pretty quickly. With additional listens I realized there is far more depth to this album than I had originally given it credit for. Not as frantic or aggressive as some of their previous material, but still highly enjoyable.
7. Eternities - "Holding the Sun" (The Golden Age EP)
Remember how I raved about Kent, Ohio's Dog Days in 2012, only to get pissed that they broke up before they could get any due attention? Well, three of the guys went on to form Eternities. Far less aggressive/heavy than Dog Days, but definitely has some teeth. I get a Vheissu-era Thrice vibe, mixed in with a little Deftones.
8. Teenage Bottlerocket - "Via Munich" (American Deutsch Bag 7")
Apparently this song originally appeared on a Tony Sly (of No Use For A Name fame) solo album. I don't mean to disrespect the dead at all, but this is just further proof to me that Tony Sly had a knack for writing great, catchy songs, but couldn't quite pull them off himself.
9. Puig Destroyer - "First to Third" (Wait For Spring EP)
I stumbled upon this band earlier this month, but I'm including them on this comp anyway. Riley Breckenridge from Thrice, Mike Minnick from Curl Up and Die, and some other guys from bands I don't recognize started a baseball-themed hardcore/"grindcore" band. It's preeeeetty pretty funny, preeeeetty pretty fast, preeeeetty heavy, and reeeeeally really good.
10. Modern Life Is War - "Cracked Sidewalk Surfer" (Fever Hunting)
Oh! Hey! Modern Life Is War got back together! Fever Hunting rules. Their 2005 album Witness ranks among one of my favorite albums of all time, but their follow-up, 2007's Midnight In America, couldn't sock it to me. This one socks it to me. I love when hardcore bands write really fast, simplistic punk rock songs, which is what "Cracked Sidewalk Surfer" is.
11. Tegan and Sara - "Closer" (Heartthrob)
Tegan and Sara wrote a straight-up pop/dance album. I may not like it as much as some of their older material, but it is still very, very good.
12. Paint It Black - "Greetings, Fellow Insomniacs" (Invisible 7")
I wish Paint It Black would just release another full-length. The 7"s are cool (and Invisible is possibly the best of the three they have released since 2009), but just put out a full-length.
13. Enabler - "Shift of Redemption" (Shift of Redemption 7")
I got super, SUPER into Enabler's All Hail The Void in 2012. Enabler put out two really great EPs in 2013, the abovementioned Shift of Redemption and Flies. They're one of my favorite bands that I've discovered over the last year or so.
14. Shai Hulud - "Reach Beyond The Sun" (Reach Beyond The Sun)
I always thought Shai Hulud was cool, but favored their side project Zombie Apocalypse. I probably wouldn't have paid much attention to this album had they not re-enlisted their first singer, Chad Gilbert (of New Found Glory fame), on vocals. I still prefer the speed of Zombie Apocalypse to the chuggy-ness of Shai Hulud, but this was one of my favorite overall albums of 2013.
15. Less Than Jake - "A Short History Lesson" (See The Light)
I like this album okay. I bought it back in November at the Fat Wreck Chords Tour at the Agora, so I'm not super, super familiar with it because it didn't immediately grab me and was thus relegated to the "will listen to more intensely later" pile. This song is good though.
16. This Is Hell - "The Enforcer" (The Enforcer 7")
If you like early (more hardcore-influenced) This Is Hell, you might not be so into this. If you're into later (more metal-influenced) This Is Hell, you will probably be into this. I like all eras of the band, and I think this is great!
17. Streetlight Manifesto - "If Only For Memories" (The Hands That Thieve)
So what if it's 2013 (now 2014!) and I still like ska? Band rules.
18. Cancer Bats - "Children of the Grave" (Bat Sabbath - Bastards of Reality EP)
If anyone actually read this I'm sure I'd get a lot of hate for this, but I never got super into Black Sabbath. Just never really cared for them, and I've never thought anyone should suck off bands just because they are influential. That said, I am really into this Bat Sabbath EP, where Cancer Bats covered a bunch of Black Sabbath songs. As far as I can tell, they're pretty straight-up covers, but put through the Cancer Bats filter I find them far more palatable.
19. Coheed and Cambria - "Dark Side of Me" (The Afterman: Descension)
Hoooo boy have Coheed and Cambria just killed it on their last two albums. The Afterman: Descension came out a few months after The Afterman: Ascension, so it was released pretty early on in 2013. Really great stuff though - has some of the classic Coheed and Cambria melodies and guitar work that initially endeared me to them, while some of the weirder, more electronic sounds that were introduced in their later material also pops up and is really deftly utilized (see: "Number City," which nearly edged out "Dark Side of Me" on this comp.).
20. Protest The Hero - "Skies" (Volition)
I backed Protest The Hero's "IndieGoGo" campaign back in February of 2013, which they started to fund the recording of this album (they were let go by Vagrant Records due to poor album sales) and release it themselves. I didn't actually get this album until late November, I think...? That's a long fucking wait between albums. It was really worth the wait, though. Without going back to reread, I feel like this is a theme for a lot of other songs/albums that I have mentioned on this list, but I wasn't super into their last album, Scurrilous, and I feel like this is a great return to form. One thing that bugged me about Scurrilous was that their singer started writing their lyrics instead of their bassist (who had written lyrics for their first two albums) and I felt like, as a result, the delivery/melodies weren't as strong because of the singer's new focus on lyrics, but the lyrics also weren't as interesting/badass as their first two full-lengths (which were concept albums). The bassist didn't write the lyrics for this album either, but I feel like the singer was much better at strengthening the lyrics and the melodies this time around.
Anyway, if you're interested, you can get the comp here.
Treat others how you'd like to be treated. You're beautiful. Peace.
Yours, etc.,
<3dane
xoxo