DOWNLOAD: Violent Bullshit - Getaway
If you've been hanging out in the American underground for a minute, you probably know the work of Mr. Jayson Green – the front man/mic-choker behind bands like Orchid, Panthers and now the hardcore outfit Violent Bullshit. You may have also seen him on my TV show OUR SHOW rating movies in burgers with Kyp Malone from TV On The Radio, but that's another thing altogether so let's get into the music. "Getaway," a standout track from Violent Bullshit's excellent new LP Adult Problems, is punchy, spazzy and approximately 90 seconds long. I hate to get writerly about hardcore, so what I'll tell you is that you can mosh it out and jog to it and that it has some nice classic rock licks toward the end. Drink up!
DOWNLOAD: OFF! - Cracked
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(Photo: Aaron Farley)
Not only was this band, OFF!, born out of Keith Morris's attempt at a Circle Jerks reunion, this new song from its coming full-length debut is centered around his disappointment and, later, absence from a Black Flag regrouping. "Cracked" is, as expected, fierce, angry – and in the OFF! fashion debuted on 2010's First Four EPs – incredibly short. OFF! will be released May 8 by Vice with sixteen tracks in (around) sixteen minutes.
STREAM: mewithoutYou - February, 1878
mewithoutYou will release its fifth album, Ten Stories, on May 15. The group recently revealed the record’s first track, “February, 1878,” which is a gritty post-hardcore number that pays homage to the band’s 2004 song “February, 1979” off Catch For Us The Foxes. The moody number is driven by squirming electric guitars, throbbing drums and singer Aaron Weiss’ signature vocal growl. It’s good to hear from this band again, especially in a way that recalls their earlier work.
DOWNLOAD: OFF! - King Kong Brigade
OFF! is the punk rock supergroup formed by ex-Black Flag/Circle Jerks leader Keith Morris, Burning Brides frontman Dimitri Coats, Hot Snakes/Rocket From the Crypt member Mario Rubalcaba and Redd Kross' Steven McDonald. Last year, the group released First Four EPs – a collection of 7-inch releases, and will now follow that up with their self-titled debut record coming May 8 on Vice. “King Kong Brigade” is the first track to emerge from the new effort, and the raw, vigorous number is stomping punk replete with static-heavy feedback and Morris’ impassioned yelp. It’s short, but oh so effective.
DOWNLOAD: No Trigger - Permanent
Massachusetts hardcore band No Trigger formed back in 2000, finally releasing their debut album, Canyoneer, in 2006. Now the group has offered up its sophomore effort, Tycoon, via No Sleep Records. “Permanent" showcases the band’s signature hardcore punk sound, reminiscent of Strike Anywhere and early Rise Against. It’s a gritty, propulsive pummeler that makes you wonder why most punk bands nowadays need such slick production.
STREAM: Fucked Up - Chinese Zodiac Singles
For how hardcore and totally fun Fucked Up can be, they also have a staunch dedication to weirdness that's endearing. Example? Well, since 2006, the band has released a 12-inch single for Chinese New Year and is gearing up to drop a new edition February 21 that features Jim Jarmusch, Austra, Annie-Claude Deschênes of Duchess Says and a whopping 15-minute run time. Let's get you caught up, though. Check out all the previous editions for years dedicated to the dog, pig, rat and ox via Matador.
DOWNLOAD: Give Up The Ghost - Love American
Give Up The Ghost, a Boston hardcore band originally known as American Nightmare, broke up in 2004, leaving fans devastated. Recently the group announced they would reform for two reunion shows in NYC and LA this December. Along with those shows, the band will reissue two of its seminal releases, 2001’s Background Music and 2003’s We're Down Til We're Underground, via Deathwish. “Love American,” a typically thrashing hardcore punk number, comes from the second of those reissues, reminding us why this aggressive band was so engaging and, honestly, how upset we are that those reunion shows sold out in mere minutes.
Give Up The Ghost - Love American
DOWNLOAD: This Is Hell – Salt The Earth
For fans of heavier music: This Is Hell, a hardcore band from Long Island that formed in 2004, crafts thrashing, aggressive numbers prime for moshing. “Salt The Earth,” a cut from the group’s fourth effort Black Mass, which came out recently via Rise Records, is a viscerally intense track all the way through – its surging riffs, pummeling drums and singer Travis Reilly’s guttural yelps nearly smashing you in the face. It’s no frills hardcore, which is really the best kind.
