New Jersey pop punkers City Limits have gifted fans a sneak peak at their forthcoming album Secret Holiday. The teaser track they’ve posted is called “Orange Whip” and if it manages to wet your appetite for the rest of the record, you’ll have to wait until the September 22, 2017 for it to drop.

You can listen to “Orange Whip” below.

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Veterans of the Belgrade punk scene, Doghouse, are allowing fans to stream their entire album Never Cry Wolf. Heavy, fast, and chocked full of riffs, the release should excite fans of classic ’90s melodic punk – metallic edges and all.

Check out Never Cry Wolf below and grab a copy if you’re into it.

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Illinois based pop punk outfit Welfare Beer League are streaming their latest single. It’s called “Your Resignation” and has a distinctively Alkaline Trio feel to its self-deprecation.

You can check out “Your Resignation” below. It’s the first new music from the Welfare Beer League since their single from June of this year, “Keep Calm Baby”.

[Read more…]

Canadian pop punk four-piece Save One are allowing fans to stream their latest EP for free. Entitled Brain Damage, it features four tracks of fast, fun, and infectious pop punk .

Brain Damage is the latest release from Save One since Sitting on a Bench Waiting for a Bus which dropped earlier this year. Take a listen to the band’s most recent material below.

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Before Hot Water Music was a band I loved, they were a band I wanted to love. From the outside looking in, there’s an undeniable something about the band’s output that makes you wish you were a part of it. Maybe it’s the minor cult of personality surrounding Chuck Ragan– Hemingway-styled man’s man and gravel-throated troubadour. It could be the name too, Hot Water Music— a name shared with a short story collection by Charles Bukowski. Then, of course, there’s the music itself. At once groove-based, experimental, airy, and tightly interlocked– then also, inherently singable, loud and anthemic. With so many ideas making up the core of Hot Water Music, it’s easy to forget that the actual core of the band is four people: Chuck, Chris, George, and Jason. And more than anything, how each member irreplaceably contributes is what makes all the difference.

I have fond memories of Fuel for the Hate Game, it was my first Hot Water Music album, and as music cliches go, it’ll probably always be my favorite. I had already heard Fugazi, so I at least had a band to namecheck against its post-hardcore approach to melody and rhythm. “Turnstile” the most unabashed punk banger on the album, reeled me into the new waters, and soon the rest of the album followed. By the time Exister came out, I felt like a seasoned fan, rolling around in the muck and excitement of a new Hot Water release.

Well, we’ve come to the end of one release cycle and entered a new one. Fittingly, it’s time to write one of my favorite collections of words: Hot Water Music is back. Light It Up wants you to know from the get-go that it is a Hot Water Music album, both a continuation of what they’ve been doing years and a sonic scrapbook. Before you even start spinning, the album artwork hearkens back to the wonderful and abstract cubism of Scott Sinclair’s art. Then, there’s also the fact that this album, for the first time since Fuel for the Hate Game, is totally produced by the band. For better or worse, this release carries with it the same weight as a self-titled album. Hot Water Music wants you to know they’re back, and across Light It Up, they’re exploring everything that makes them unique.

Light It Up is a latter-day Hot Water Music album, so game-changing is out of the question. In this stage of any band’s career, there are few boundaries to adequately explore that don’t feel perfunctory or worse, stale. The best you can hope for from a band with a handful of classic albums is that their new stuff is what they’re excited about playing. And continuing the theme of distilling the essence of Hot Water Music– the time honored back to roots approach of latter-day album making– they have reintroduced some of the band’s old idiosyncrasies that were sadly missing from Exister. The Chris Wollard led tracks are the most obvious in these regards, as they usually are. “Vultures” verses are shouted, a throwback to the band’s own hardcore influence and “Overload” is carried by the bass fills that have been with the band since the start. On “Show Your Face,” we get to hear a more aggressive Chuck Ragan delivery than usual, with him barking the opening verse. Hearing Chuck tap into his punk side a little more on this album is a real treat, as I thought some of the most off-notes of Exister were when it felt like we got the electric B-sides of a Revival Tour jam. He actually delivers the angriest track this time around– “Sympathizer”– a mid-tempo banger with a nasty minor-key riff that punctuates lines like, “It’s safe to say you burned our bridge!” It’s an easy standout in an album full of quality songs.

“Bury Your Idols” is a Chuck Ragan-belter that begs to be screamed along to in sweaty crowds. This song and others, bring to mind that as Hot Water Music has aged, they have settled comfortably into a punk rock sound that takes as much from early Bad Religion as Fugazi. The hearty and melodic woahs that appear across Light It Up make the case well, and while I could argue it strays the band further from their core (but, I could also point to “Wayfarer” off Caution and wonder what the fuck I’m talking about in the first place), they execute everything with such gusto that it’s hard to say any one element doesn’t belong. Big woahs aren’t what I go to a Hot Water Music album for, but they make for sweaty communion in the live setting. And if anything, that might be what has guided the band from an angular post-hardcore outfit to gritty anthem-writers– it’s hard to project yourself onto twisting rhythms, but traditional songwriting is tried and true and more connective than most of us want to admit. The fact that Hot Water Music hasn’t totally bled out all of their abrasion is a minor miracle. “Light It Up” is literally a marriage between the past and present, one of their fastest tracks in a long time, filled with fast-spitting vocals and yes, a big woah chorus.

The album closes with “Take You Away,” an impassioned track with a killer lead vocal performance from Chuck Ragan and some call and response. And I think, that is essentially why Light It Up works so well. It’s not groundbreaking for Hot Water Music, but it makes good on every disparate element of their music and delivers in the spirit, if not the exact formula– it’s passionate, but also, it has integrity. It comes through in the vocal performances, the emocore-hearkening lead on “Rabbit Key,” the fluid basslines on “Complicated,” and George Rebelo’s glue like drumming that keeps so many strong voices on the same team without losing his own.

Again, I take a deep breath and say my favorite words: Hot Water Music is back. Light It Up is a record of songs that wanted to be written, an album that respects the past without slaving to it. As an entity, Hot Water Music has already made their bones, and with Light It Up, they’re telling the world they plan to keep them.

4/5

The Punk in Drublic logline is the sort of thing that makes a Pacific Northwest punk a little misty-eyed: craft beer + punk rock. It sounds so simple, yet until now, it hadn’t been done. Fat Mike has managed to combine the unique atmosphere of a punk rock show with a brewfest. As Langston Hughes said, “Hold fast to dreams.”

The tour stops are cities most likely missed on regular circuits. I arrived at the Tacoma stop with the thought, as I’m sure did everyone else: why the fuck is this in Tacoma? The question is probably the answer. NOFX is a band that has been around forever and toured about everywhere you can think of, doing a weird tour of less-sought American cities seems right up their alley. Sometimes the only reason is why not?

I got to the venue early enough to walk around and take in the sights. It kind of reminded me of a mini-Punk Rock Bowling, but without the oppressive desert heat. In fact, the green grass and cool air were a welcome change from my past festival experiences. If there’s anyone listening out there: the mild climate of the Northwest is perfect for this type of thing. People were drinking beers and chatting, hyping themselves about the last time they saw NOFX or Bad Religion; decked out in Fat Wreck gear and comparing tasting notes. It was a cool vibe, definitely a unique festival experience. I had the pleasure of trying out Stone’s NOFX collaboration beer– a hoppy lager called Punk In Drublic– and am happy to report it tastes about how you’d expect: a big earthy bouquet of lager maltiness with a strong dose of hops. Pretty damn good, if you ask me.

The biggest problem with the beer side of the operation was that there wasn’t enough. There were ten-thousand punks in Tacoma that night, and they drank all the beer.

Photo credit: Evan Olszko

Impressively, it wasn’t even cheap beer, we’re talking ten-bucks-a-pop festival cups here. Fat Mike got his I-told-you-so in on the mic at the end of the night. For next time, they’ll have to remember that the crowd that goes to see a craft beer/ NOFX show aren’t the one-and-done types. Besides the beer running out into the middle of the final set, the festival went pretty smoothly, excepting for the long beer and merch lines. It’s hard to be too upset, allowing for inexperience with this sort of event. If they do it again (and God, I hope they do it again), they’ll need twice the kegs and the volunteers to go with them.

For the music of the day, I’m happy to say all the bands killed it. Tacoma darlings, the Hilltop Rats opened the show, obviously honored to be in the company of such a strong lineup. They played fast and aggressive skate punk with tons of melody and banter. They were there to get the fest started off right, and they were there to have fun along the way– what else can you expect from a band who played a song called “Jell-O Shots”?

Not to beat a dead horse, but the lines for beer were getting gargantuan by the time the music started in earnest. Unfortunately, the beer line predicament kept me in line for the entirety of Bad Cop/ Bad Cop’s set. From where I was though, they sounded great. Warriors is one of my favorites of the year, and I was happy to hear them play and harmonize with expert precision.

Goldinger was up next and if I had to name a song of their’s to save my life, I would have to gracefully accept a bullet. But, when they came on stage, I was in total awe. Those guys have energy to spare. They were bouncing up and down, kicking out muscular riffs that had folks dancing and singing along. Ska isn’t usually my thing, but man, I had to admit– Goldfinger kinda rocked it.

Less Than Jake had a bunch of energy too, and gave a bashful “Thanks, Fat Mike,” for putting on the punk beer fest. If there was a running theme through the night, it was that the band’s were as enthralled with the novelty of the event as the fans. They opened with “All My Best Friends are Metalheads,” which means, if I had to name one song of Less Than Jake’s to save my life, I could do exactly that.

The gateway band that I can’t shake is Bad Religion. Yeah, there were other bands I listened to when I first got into punk, but Bad Religion is the one that I always come back to. What can I say about them that hasn’t been said? Their set at Punk In Drublic was one of the best I’ve seen from them, they sounded great (especially their harmonies) and opened with “American Jesus” and ended with “Fuck Armageddon… This is Hell.” In between those two, they also played “No Control,” “Do What You Want,” “Generator,” “Los Angeles Is Burning,” and a bunch of their other hits. As he is apt to do, Fat Mike jumped on stage for the bridge of “21st Century (Digital Boy).” At Punk Rock Bowling, he took over bass for “We’re Only Gonna Die.” If there’s one thing Fat Mike likes to do (besides drugs), it’s help Bad Religion keep their set exciting. It’s happened before and it’ll happen again, but it always brings a smile to my face.

I’d only see NOFX once before, but knowing how the band follows whims (you know, like pulling off a punk beer fest in Tacoma), I always figured their sets could be pretty distinct. As per usual, there was the trademark banter, which for a NOFX fan is as much a part of their set as well, you know– songs– but, it was funny and entertaining. Fat Mike riffed on event coordinators not having enough beer and then proceeded to play a lot of classic tracks, changing words for laughs along the way. Seeing NOFX in their element with an audience of ten-thousand was a sight to see. You don’t get many opportunities to sing “Bob” with a choir that size. Everyone was really into it, singing and circle pitting– whether in the pit or not– and I was pleasantly surprised to hear them play one of my favorite deep cuts, “I’m a Huge Fan of Bad Religion,” maybe just because I can relate to the title.

All in all, Tacoma’s Punk in Drublic was a unique spectacle of good beer, great live performances, and some logistics that could stand to be improved. But, as Fat Mike celebratorily said, “This is a punk rock festival for ADULTS!” And it certainly was. There was beer and there was a music, and not a fucking kid in sight.

Doesn’t sound too bad, does it?

Swedish skate punk veterans Satanic Surfers recently announced that they have begun tracking down their first studio album in 12 years. Not many details were given, but the band posted pictures from the studio on their Instagram page, with one of them reading, “New album in the making”.

Satanic Surfers released their last album Taste the Poison way back in 2005 through Bad Taste Records.

The Bronx have released a music video for their recent single “Two Birds”, taken from their upcoming album V. You can watch the video below.

V is set to be released on September 22nd via ATO Records.

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Once the initial thrill upon hearing that a band has ended their self-imposed hiatus and are returning with fresh recordings passes, there is that unmistakable feeling of trepidation. Will there still be the spark and crackle of passion, invention and enthusiasm that made them so special or will it just be a tired old retread of what came before? The last twitch of a band who should just be put out of their misery.

Massachusetts, melodic punk/ hardcore band No Trigger have been around since the year 2000 with their last album, “Tycoon”, coming all the way back in 2012. A lot can happen in 5 years so it is with that familiar feeling of excitement and apprehension that the band mark their return with this 4 track EP. Thankfully, “Adult Braces” is an inspired and welcome return for the band who serve up 4 tight, punchy anthems ready for immediate consumption.

“Sleeping Bag” starts things off in typically bracing fashion with a tightly wound hardcore riff that crashes face first into a bouncy, melodic punk chorus. Their sound sits somewhere between Strike Anywhere and Good Riddance and, while it may not be wholly original, when it’s done this well and with this amount of raw, burning passion, who cares? The band have a veteran’s understanding of how to stitch together tough, brawny hardcore and brighter, more upbeat pop-punk with each song elevated still further by singer Tom Rheault’s introspective lyrics. As he bawls lines “I’ve been dreaming/another night in hell”  it’s clear that each song is a cathartic opportunity for him to  lay his frustrations and pent-up fury bare.  “Holy Punks” is a similarly disaffected anthem which sees Rheault address the uncertainties of having to navigate your 30s and the very real pressures to “grow up”.

“Dogs On Acid” is another prime example of the band’s perfect blend of intense, hardcore verses and more anthemic, melodic punk choruses. After the hushed, lo-fi strums of an acoustic guitar it quickly becomes a full on oral assault as Rheult’s urgent tirades tangle with roaring guitars and quick fire drums. EP closer, “Hyperaware”, deviates subtly from what precedes it as the band cram a lifetime’s worth of musical lessons into 3 and a half minutes. The crisp, post-hardcore lead guitar line that buttresses the vocals,and the atmospheric verses are pure A Wilhelm Scream. While the bone-rattlingly infectious chorus and the quiet/loud bridge that sees the rest of the band recede behind a dam of pounding drums before roaring back to life, show a subtle touch similar to that of Hot Water Music.

Fans may be disappointed at the brevity of this EP but it serves as a tasty reminder of what we’ve been missing since the band went into hibernation. Let’s just hope the band doesn’t wait so long next time.

4/5 Stars

California pop-punks The Story So Far just released a new single titled “Out Of It”, and you can check it out below. The track will be getting a limited 7″ release in November, with all proceeds going to the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation. Pre-orders have already sold out.

Guitarist Will Levy had this to say about the band’s decision to contribute to a charitable cause:

“We want to help contribute to The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation because we want people to know that there is hope and that you don’t have to go it alone. From addiction to anxiety to eating disorders, or schizophrenia, we believe there is a way to help with these illnesses. We personally struggle with some of these illnesses everyday and we want to help each other out. Please reach out to a loved one, speak up and don’t be afraid to be honest about what’s happening. To learn more…”

The band’s currently working on a new album that is expected to release in 2018. They will be touring the US with Turnstile and Drug Church later this year (dates below). [Read more…]