Bryne Yancey

Twin Atlantic Free   Twin Atlantic won’t set the world on fire with their originality, and it’s unlikely that their intention is to do so. Still, the Glasgow, Scotland-based quartet’s new album, Free, lacks much of what makes this brand of emo-rock great for some and tolerable for others: namely, catchy hooks and memorable melodies. […]

Ninja Gun Roman Nose EP Ninja Gun are something of an outlier in the current punk scene. Though they often tour with punk bands and perform at punk festivals, the Valdosta, Georgia-based quartet have quietly evolved their sound into something much more than a few simple chords and expository lyrics. The band take almost equal […]

Smoking Popes This Is Only A Test On This Is Only A Test, Smoking Popes’ new full-length (and second since their triumphant reunion five years ago), the band wanted to try something different. Vocalist Josh Caterer had never written songs from the perspective of a teenager, and with the band’s legacy largely intact, why not […]

Cheap Girls/Lemuria Split EP   No Idea Records rarely skimps on quality when it comes to their split releases, and their latest, a 7-inch featuring Lemuria and Cheap Girls, is no exception. Lemuria’s two offerings sonically reside in the realm of quirky, cute indie-pop one would expect from the group, with subtle flashes thrown in: […]

The Frustrators Griller EP   When he’s not playing bass for one of the biggest bands in the world, Green Day’s Mike Dirnt lends his stylings to the Frustrators, a sporadically active side project comprising a bunch of longtime friends who have a refreshing, back-to-basics feel not unlike the side project of his Green Day […]

Carpenter Sea To Sky   One look at the band’s MySpace URL (myspace.com/johncougarisgod) ought to give a clear indication of where Carpenter’s allegiances lie. Like Mr. Mellencamp, this group of Canadian farm kids fight for the little guy, eschewing the practices of agribusiness and lending their time and energy to several admirable causes. That sort […]

No Trigger Be Honest EP   Nearly five years have passed since No Trigger dropped the excellent Canyoneer, and it's safe to say that the melodic-hardcore landscape has been dramatically changed in their absence. Sure, most of the mainstays of the genre are still going strong (A Wilhelm Scream, Strike Anywhere, Strung Out) while one […]

The Sainte Catherines Fire Works   It’s been a long four years since the Sainte Catherines dropped Dancing For Decadence, a raucous piece of melodic hardcore that served as their coming out party in the States. In the interim, several members of the Québécois sextet moonlighted in alt-country outfit Yesterdays Ring, and those exploits shine […]

Less Than Jake TV/EP Less Than Jake have never been accused of taking themselves too seriously, so when news broke that the band would be releasing a covers EP full of TV show themes and commercial jingles, surprise was scant. With TV/EP, LTJ cranks out 16 covers in roughly 14 minutes, running the gamut from […]