Contributions
“Nobody thinks Fat Mike can write a f**king serious musical.”—The story behind 'Home Street Home'
When he wasn’t up to his antics in veteran punk outfit NOFX, Fat Mike spent the past five years working on Home Street Home, a fully staged theatrical production. The musical follows a young runaway who escapes an abusive household and finds a new family among the misunderstood influences of deviant street culture. And, yes, […]
toyGuitar provide pure punk not heard often these days on 'In This Mess'
toyGuitar In This Mess No huge surprise toyGuitar features a few members of Swingin' Utters, as this great debut full-length has a ton of that band's energy and punk simplicity, not to mention the familiar treble-heavy production. But the similarities stop there: toyGuitar add tons of fun power-pop elements and no shortage of sun-drenched surf-rock […]
"There's a lot of history there"—Pre-Green Day band The Lookouts! to have material reissued
Before there was Green Day, there were the Lookouts!, a quirky punk rock band featuring then-12-year-old drummer Tré Cool, guitarist/vocalist Larry Livermore (founder of Lookout! Records) and bassist Kain Kong (now a forest ranger) who were truly a product of their environment. The band were from a remote mountain area in California, a seclusion reflected in […]
Joyce Manor punk up some old songs on their new split EP with Toys That Kill
Joyce Manor/Toys That Kill Split EP Clocking in at eight minutes and consisting of a mere four songs, this split EP is just a quick taste of what these raw pop-punk (emphasis on pop and punk) bands are capable of. Of course, at least one of these bands' full-lengths barely go longer than eight minutes (lookin' […]
At The Gates - At War With Reality
At The Gates At War With Reality It’s been 19 years since Swedish melodic death metallers At The Gates released their genre-changing swansong, Slaughter Of The Soul. And it’s a tough racket for them to try to come back: Countless bands have emulated their sound in the meantime, turning melodic death from a truly exciting […]
Knuckle Puck - While I Stay Secluded EP
Knuckle Puck While I Stay Secluded EP Chicago’s Knuckle Puck may be a bunch of youngins who seem dead-set on just releasing EP after EP, but they’re doing something right, as the six songs on this latest (you guessed it) EP prove. The band haven’t become one of the most respected bands of the pop-punk […]
Kittyhawk - Hello, Again
Kittyhawk Hello, Again This debut from Chicago's Kittyhawk definitely brings their emo forebears in Rainer Maria to mind, as well as the sugar-sweet sounds of the mainly forgotten but always excellent Ida. Some serious names to throw around for those who like emo, yes; but Kittyhawk pull it off on Hello, Again. The band's knack for […]
Young Statues - Flatlands Are Your Friend
Young Statues Flatlands Are Your Friend What a difference an album makes. Young Statues' second full-length, Flatlands Are Your Friend, has a shocking amount of depth to it. It also sounds like a different band than the one who played on 2011's self-titled debut. It's still rooted in book-ish indie rock, but here, the Death Cab […]
Puig Destroyer - Puig Destroyer
Puig Destroyer Puig Destroyer A “grindcore” band with lyrics focused around baseball and controversial Cuban ball player Yasiel Puig featuring dudes from Thrice and Curl Up And Die sounds like a recipe for disaster for people like myself who think Pig Destroyer, the grindcore band Puig Destroyer pay homage to with their name and logo, […]