Song #80: Kate Nash - "I Just Love You More"

 In this week's installment of "what the fuck just happened", former skirt-twirling indie pop darling Kate Nash has gone all artsy-punk on her new track, I Just Love You More, which is the first track to be lifted from her long-awaited second album called Crayon Full of Colour.

Gone is the summery, cutesy pop that's prevalent on her debut, Made of Bricks. Instead, we get a snarling, single-string riff, a tight drum beat and Nash's creepy speak-sing of the title of the song. She doesn't say a lot more apart from this, except when she starts primal screams and shrills in the vein of Karen O or Yoko Ono. It's completely left of centre, but it's a real treat to watch her trying out something so different. The song is a little hollow overall, though, with the same parts reoccurring continuously. Maybe this is just a taste of what's to come? Oh boy oh boy oh boy, this is going to be awesome. Hopefully.

FINAL RATING (/10): 7

Crayon is set for an April release.

x
David

Song #69: Fucked Up - "Fixed Race"

 
Fucked Up are an absolutely insane band. I just got their two disc compilation of non-album tracks entitled Couple Tracks, and it's absolutely awesome.  Their music is fast, no-bullshit hardcore with tonnes of attitude and even a few major hooks in there.

Fixed Race is like the Ramones getting into a barroom brawl with Ian Mackaye and watching it in fast-forward. It's relentlessly exciting, thrown at your face at breakneck speed. Vocalist Pink Eyes only pauses briefly to let a guitar solo pass through. Then it's a quick gasp for air and another breathless roar-through. Punk as fuck, pretty much. If this sounds like your bag, then run into that pit and scramble for the fucking microphone. Fucked Up will smash up everything in sight and not think twice about it. Herein lies the appeal.

FINAL RATING (/10): 8

Couple Tracks is out now.

x
David

Song #56: A Place to Bury Strangers - "It Is Nothing"

I write for a site called The AU Review, who have a pretty good relationship with a cool little venue called the Oxford Art Factory on Oxford St. in Sydney. Out of a list of upcoming shows they are promoting, this one in particular took my interest. I have continuously heard the name A Place To Bury Strangers thrown around, but I had no idea what to expect. Nevertheless, I put my name down and I downloaded their latest album, Exploding Head.

It is Nothing is the first track on the record, and it's a fairly good indication of what Strangers are all about. It's quick, trashy, messy and loud as fuck. You'll feel the need to wear earplugs just listening to this fucking record. If Dave Davies from The Kinks ripped a hole in his amp speaker and put a pin in, guitarist Oliver Ackermann may as well have sliced his entire amp in half. This take-no-prisoners affair is soaked in reverb, distortion and pure noise. It will throw you off guard on the first few listens, but it ultimately proves to be one of the best tracks on the entire album.

FINAL RATING (/10): 8

The band are in Australia next month. Get on it.

x

David

Song #44: A Death in the Family - "Erasing the Maps"

I wrote up some email Q and As today for the site I write for, FasterLouder. One was for hardcore band Every Time I Die, and the other for these guys - headliners of the very-cool-looking Blood, Sweat and Beers festival, A Death In The Family.

I decided to listen through all of the songs on their MySpace page as I was writing up the ten or so questions I wanted to ask them - including questions about the festival and opening for Rise Against. I've always had at least a passing interest in this band and what they do, but it was in this simple lunchtime task that I came to appreciate them a lot more. This track in particular was a favourite - passionate and very rough around its edges, delivered with plenty of heart with no abandonment of a shout-along hook in order to remain "punk" necessary. ADITF are a very quality band, and I believe it's perhaps Erasing The Maps that will be the first to convince you of this. For fans of acts like The Gaslight Anthem, Hot Water Music, Against Me!, Polar Bear Club, etc. - y'know, the good shit.

FINAL RATING (/10): 8

Don't forget to grab a BSB ticket, too! Head to www.annandalehotel.com.au and suss it out!

x
David

Song #30: Bomb The Music Industry! - "Struggler"

If you haven't heard Bomb The Music Industry!, you've surely heard of them by reputation - the alternative/punk collective who don't do a damn thing by the norm. They've got everything they've ever recorded up on Tumblr, for god's sake. They only play all ages shows for $10 or less. They even let you play with them if you learn a song of their and come to the show with your instrument. If that doesn't intrigue you, I've got nothing...they're all monkeys? No, that won't work.

 

Anyway, this track was recorded the exact same way the first BtMI! song was recorded - in frontman Jeff Rosenstock's bedroom on a laptop. The lo-fi, indie creation doesn't get in the way of the song itself being a happy-sad anthem, with the hook "I don't want to go outside/Cause it might be a terrible day!" and kitchen-sink instrumentation (cheesy fake drums, ukulele, horns, etc). Songs like this normally don't kick you out of your chair and demand repeated listens at gunpoint. I can assure you, however, that this little fucker did. And I gladly let it do so. And yes, I would do it again.

FINAL RATING (/10): 9.5

Fucking wonderful. Download this and everything else they have, right now.

xoxo

DTMI!

Song #27: Hunx and His Punx - "Hey Rocky"

 
Come on! With a band name like THAT, was I really going to pass listening to this up?

I came across the band on a random blog, where the lady blogger in question spoke of an encounter with the band's lead singer. For those of you playing at home, he looks like this.

Mmm-MMM!

Onto the track itself - which is, insanely enough, fucking brilliant. A lo-fi take on Ramones-meets-The Cramps powerpop/bubblegum punk, the track is a homoerotic two-minute sugar rush. The chorus is infectious, in addition to the twangy chord progression and frontman Seth Bogart's buzzing melodies. Yes, the entire thing is paper thin. But it's colourful! And punching through it feels fucking awesome.

FINAL RATING (/10): 9

Close to trash-po perfection. Ugly songs about gay sex have never felt so fucking righteous. God-DAMN I'm loving this challenge - there's so much wonder out there for me!

xxxx
Dunx and His Blungx

Song #25: Polar Bear Club - "Parked in the Parking Lot of Your Heart"

Yes yes yes, Merry Fucking Christmas and all that. I sincerely hope you have a lovely day with your families, no matter what you celebrate. Much love and peace.

Let's get on with the challenge, though, shall we? We did a Christmas track yesterday, so let's continue on with a new track I've never listened to before.

Today's targets are a band I've been hearing a lot about recently and are coming to Australia next month. It's a meld of post-punk and post-hardcore, with vocals thrashing away with that throaty semi-scream in the spirit of The Gaslight Anthem, Against Me! or even Dropkick Murphys. The drums are loud and crashing, the guitar work a prickly, zig-zagging affair and the amalgamation of the entire sound is an excercise in passion, energy and consistently interesting music.

FINAL RATING (/10): 9

I get the feeling I'm going to like my time with this band a lot.
Here's their Australian tour dates:

Thur Jan 21- Rosies, Brisbane
Fri Jan 22- Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle 18+
Sat Jan 23- Annandale Hotel, Sydney
Sun Jan 24- Annandale Hotel, Sydney AA
Wed Jan 27-- Rosemount, Perth
Thu Jan 28 YMCA HQ, Perth AA
Fri Jan 29- Enigma Bar, Adelaide
Sat Jan 30- East Brunswick Club, Melbourne
Sun Jan 31- Castle, Melbourne AA

xxx
David

Song #10: Burning Empires - "Accomplice"

Booya! We're onto a fucking milestone, people - TEN days into the 100 Days project. That's one tenth of the process to becoming a better person already gone! Amazing! A big shout out to everyone else doing this, so much love for all of you! Keep in touch.

So here we go with number ten - it's the newest supergroup of 2009, but for the 'core kids - meet Burning Empires. You brocore moshers needn't worry about Andy Hurley of Fall Out Boy on the drums -Pete Wentz is nowhere to be seen! Members of Misery Signals and 7 Plagues 7 Deaths take his place.

What can I say? This is more than exciting. This is amongst the best hardcore I have heard all year.

Accomplice is heartfelt, aggressive and a very engaging display of what the powers combined of Mis Sig and FOB are capable of. Through several movements and progressions, an attack of thundering drum fills, charging guitar and impassioned lyrics will hit home to the point of being completely overwhelming. Hardcore usually isn't my genre to go batshit over, but I can't stress enough how great this is. It's the kind of track that not only invigorates but restores faith.

FINAL RATING (/10): 9.5

Am I overreacting? Maybe. But put it this way - I was in a lazy slump before listening to this, and now I'm more pumped about this project than ever. Feels fucking GOOD, man.

Experience this now. Over here (love you Spin).

XXX
David