New Muzik Monday (5/28/12): Memorial Day Mosh Edition

With May coming to a close, I wanted to take the time to acknowledge a few of this month's standout hardcore releases from Expire, Old Wounds and Raindance, as well as one of my most anticipated 2012 EPs that is due to come out next month, The Out Crowd Blues, by Florida's Vices.

Expire - Pendulum Swings

Bridge 9 newcomers, Expire, just put out their debut full length, Pendulum Swings, as a follow up to their 2011 Suffer the Cycle EP that was released through Six Feet Under Records. Hailing from Milwaukee, Wisc., Expire play gimmick-free, bare bones, heavy hardcore much like that of contemporaries Backtrack and Trapped Under Ice.  From the immediately bitter vocals of "Just Fine" to the final chants in the title track's outro, the album pummels the listener with relentless guitar grooves, breakneck drumming, and memorable vocal breaks that hit even harder thanks to super-crisp and powerful production.  At just over 20 minutes, Pendulum Swings is a fun and direct take on hardcore that spares no aggression throughout its course.

Buy the record from B9!

New Muzik Monday: April 2, 2012

March may have been a slow month for music, but here are three standout 2012 hardcore and punk albums that you shouldn't miss, as well as a brief preview of Daytrader's new album due to be released on May 8.

Pentimento/Young English – Split

This is a very exciting release for these two young NY emotional punk bands.  Both Pentimento’s Wrecked, and Young English’s I Hate My Friends showed promise, but left room for improvement in the future.  Simply calling the four new respective tracks from each band an “improvement” would be an understatement, and a rather large one at that.  The songwriting maturity featured on each half of the split is unrivaled by other bands in the genre.  Each side is littered with unforgettable moments, like the melodic “breakdown” (if you will), in “No Apology,” and the infectious hook in “So Long, Connecticut.”  

Stream the whole split!