StapH - Keys EP (2009)

Sometimes I think I wait too long to review something and it feels like the more I like something and the more I listen to every tiny detail the further away I get from saying something coherent. Its at times like these that I feel like I should be a writing a haiku for all the albums I love. Capturing their essence so to speak, as opposed to surgically opening them up and scrutinizing all their intricacies.

Music so pretty
Would not be named after
A bad infection.

I dunno. I think I might need to practice with my haikus for a bit before I send them out to the world. But regardless, my point being that I find it very hard to describe this record as I have grown quite fond of it. I can describe my co-worker sitting across from me, but if I had to describe my friend Fooch*, I would have a hard time. I would be like "uhhhh, Awesome? hows that?"

So yeah, flip Fooch out for Staph...

Q: Sooo, whats this Staph band like?
A: uhhhhh... Awesome?

I mean, it leaves something to be desired. Dont you think?

Well, lemme try another stab at this. Staph rules... better? Okay, theyre "really really good"... okay, now im just toyin' around. Staph is really good. They jam out 3 amazing tunes on this, their first EP and they are going to be a band to keep an eye on, because if I'm not crazy (which I probably am) everyone still loves a healthy serving of the slow burn in their 90's styled hardcore. And by 'slow burn' I mean post-rock tendencies, and by 'hardcore' I mean bands like Still Life, Portraits of Past and Moss Icon as opposed to Minor Threat, NYHC or Earth Crisis.

So its with that explanation that I feel I can comfortably move forward and say that this album is one of the best emo hardcore records to not be released in the 90's. 'Harvest' starts with an awesome bass and drum rumble with all members screaming in unison before deconstructing and coming back together with guitars and the whole bit. its a tight fucking song and has great drums fills and offers up some really pretty breaks that would make some midwest emo kids happy. You might even call it twinkly, except they are still screaming, and not like Scream either... theyre really screaming.. and probably not screaming for change either. In fact, I dont have any lyrics, so ahem (HIT ME UP WITH SOME LYRICS) I can only assume they are screaming for dear life.

The songs go well together with a good sample tying them all together. The latter two songs exhibit a more subdued intensity that reminds me of Moss Icon at times while the majority of the album is something that could easily have a nice home on Ebullition with their great roster of bands. Skirting a fine line of overblown cacophony and outright prettiness Staph is clearly on the leading edge of this style. In fact, there are plenty of moments on this record that remind me of the amazing post-hardcore band Julia. Which, when I come to think of it, reminds me of DC stuff... I guess what I'm getting at is that this short 3 song EP exhibits a lot of style and variety without sacrificing continuity and, overall, this band is hard to pin down. Something I always look for in my music.

Label/blog - http://kidsisterrecords.blogspot.com/
Staph on MySpace - http://myspace.com/staphcamp

Comadre / Trainwreck / Saddest Landscape / Black Kites - ABC No Rio - TOMORROW! 3PM...

Yet another show I will be attending... this is a matinee though it probably wont start on time. 4 bands, 4 doses of awesome. If you dont know these bands, I suggest you get jiggy with the google search and start finding out.

Black Kites 3 song sampler can be found somewhere in the archives here. It rules.

Again, if you see me, say hi. Much greater chance of me meeting people at this show than the previous show at Webster Hall...

And dont forget, the Van Pelt is playing shows again! Tomorrow (Saturday) they are playing somewhere, and if I dont go, someone is going to pay, in blood. (You'd think someone would say something like that about Agnostic Front or something, but no, I'm ready to get violent over some pre-emo twinkly indie band.)

Moving Mountains, Irepress, Junius - NYC - TONITE!

Im probably going to be going to this... There is another great show going on tomorrow.. and my friend just told me that The Van Pelt is playing tomorrow night... Agnostic Front and Antidote are playing tonite as well. and I have a friend from college coming to Brooklyn and I definitely want to hang with them. So basically, I need another me..

But for those interested, All bands tread the line between post-rock and something harder. How hard is up for each band to prove. I can say this much, Irepress gets pretty freaking heavy. Moving Mountains spends more time on the post-rock side and well, I cant lie, Junius is easily the best band playing tonite, and easily worth going to this show just to see them (though Im pretty pumped on Irepress myself)

So, if youre there, and Im there, we probably wont run into each other, but if we did, it would be pretty cool.

Update: Sex-Vid, Mind Eraser, Iron Age, Failures show for June 6th

Two Great Things

Hey yooo!!! Been busy again. Lots of news and lots of changes in my world. Not all interesting for you though. But these two things should interest you...

Two new hardcore punk bands featuring members of Failures. Two awesome demo tapes for you to download and enjoy. Go see these bands when they come through. Failures is playing this weekend in Brooklyn for anyone in the area.

Get these from their pages.



short fast edgeviolence from western massachusetts

joe shumsky - drums (think i care/glue)
matt swift - guitar (relics)
matt mckeown - vocals (red room records)
will killingsworth- bass (ampere/failures/clean plate records)

demo tape limited to 100
$5ppd
you can download it for free and/or purchase it from their blog page.




Five tracks of noisy, angry music by:

Ryan Abbott (Blank Stare, Social Circkle)
Andrew Jackmauh (Failures, Cut The Shit)
PJ Miles (Brain Killer, Male Nurses)
Jamie Jones (Like Rats)

One hundred cassettes, with full color inlays inserted by hand (not pro-printed), glued pocket sleeves, double-sided inserts on linen paper, hand numbered, sealed shut and bound for authenticity.

purchase from http://confines.tumblr.com/

----------------

I have a few things Ive been wanting to get up, so lets see how well that works out..