Artist of the Day: Polar Bear Club

Some bands were made to excel in the studio. The Story So Far put together a high octane whirlwind of a pop-punk record with Under Soil and Dirt, but their live show isn't as clean cut. They put on an energetic display at best. At worst, it's all over the place, frenetic and put to shame by their pristinely produced album.

Polar Bear Club is one of those lucky bands whose concerts transcend the solitary pleasure of listening an album. Like their namesake, the Rochester punk rockers plunge headlong into their performances with reckless abandon. Deep cuts like the anthematic call-to-stagedive "Living Saints" and "Burned Out in a Jar" pepper their sets with hardcore edge, but Jimmy Stadt and company have never sounded better than when they're blistering through tracks from last year's Clash Battle Guilt Pride.

Album Review: Polar Bear Club - Clash Battle Guilt Pride

Sometime last decade, Polar Bear Club became one of those bands that exploded onto the blog-centric, web-driven scene. With their debut EP, Summer of George, Polar Bear Club became a precious, secret find that oddly propelled them into becoming a rather well known group, that even today continues to grab new fans, and turn heads with each release. However, the punk/post-hardcore outfit hasn't quite moved past their punk infused melodic, yet sort of heavy sound that's defined their past few releases. And while their newest album, Clash Battle Guilt Pride doesn't exactly see the band expanding their sound too far, it's still an incredibly pleasing listen from start to finish.