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Album Review: Cigar – “The Visitor”

Remember that time your dad went to the grocery store to get milk and never came back? That’s the exact heartbreak us skate punk fans have felt since Cigar released Speed is Relative 23 years ago and disappeared into the ether shortly thereafter. Good news! Dad’s back, and he got the milk! Or, in this […]

Remember that time your dad went to the grocery store to get milk and never came back? That’s the exact heartbreak us skate punk fans have felt since Cigar released Speed is Relative 23 years ago and disappeared into the ether shortly thereafter. Good news! Dad’s back, and he got the milk! Or, in this case, Cigar’s back and they’ve got an awesome new record.

The wait was long, but it was worth it. With their Fat Wreck Chords debut The Visitor, Cigar picks up right where they left off on Speed is Relative. This record delivers more of the crazy fast, ultra melodic punk that earned the band’s 1999 debut its deserved status as a cult classic among skate punk diehards. Actually, I think this record might even be faster than the first one! Yes, two decades have passed, but these guys have defeated Father Time. They still have the same youthful energy that originally drew me to their music; I’m confident it will win many new listeners over as well.

Cigar wastes no time getting out of the gate, as “These Chances” kicks off The Visitor at a breakneck pace, and immediately rolls into the equally speedy “Legacy of the 7 Piles”. Right off the bat, drummer Jon Sortland is firing off like a fucking machine gun on drums; seriously, this guy is a lunatic. New bassist Jonathan Hischke shows off his chops with riffs that will make your fingers bleed just listening to them. Frontman Rami Krayem turns in a great performance once again, with some creative guitar parts and equally impressive vocal range.

I loved the album’s lead single “We Used To” when I first heard it a few months ago, and that’s still the case. This song has “instant classic” written all over it. But when trying to pick a favorite track, it’s a complete toss up for me. There are no stinkers to be found here. “Gone Wrong”, “Classic You”, “Forget About Me”, and basically everything else on this record is on par with the fan favorites of Speed is Relative.

The Visitor‘s closing track “Knocked Down” is introduced with an a cappella intro, and for a brief moment in time, you get the impression that Cigar might actually slow down. But this glimpse into a seemingly softer side of the band is short-lived. They quickly hit the gas, opening up the circle pit one more time with a rapid fire skate punk anthem to rival “Mr. Hurtado”.If you like punk rock fast enough to set a land speed record, The Visitor is the record for you. With any luck, Cigar won’t keep us waiting another 23 years for the next one!

Buy The Visitor
Physical / Digital

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Bargain Bin Heroes

We are a high energy Punk/Ska/Reggae band from South Florida known for getting the crowd dancing!

Better Than Dead

Originating in 2019, Better Than Dead joined the Denver scene playing both large benefits and local shows. Cutting their teeth on Punk, BTD blended in influences of Ska, Metal, and Pop. With high energy shows and lyrics that inspire introspection, they’ve found their own style.

Bitch Queens

Basel, Switzerland. High-energy live show. In-Your-Face riffs, and a Fuck You-attitude. Any Questions?

Catbite

CATBITE IS A NEO-TWO TONE SKA BAND FROM PHILADELPHIA FORMED IN MAY OF 2018. INFLUENCED BY THE JOLTING ENERGY OF THE SPECIALS, THE SELECTOR’S EDGED LYRICS, AND ELVIS COSTELLO‘S LOVE OF MELODY, THE GROUP CRANKS OUT SHORT, CATCHY TUNES THAT USUALLY HAVE A DEEPER MEANING… AND SOMETIMES DON’T. THE BAND’S DEBUT SELF-TITLED LP WAS RELEASED IN 2019 ON BAD TIME RECORDS AND HAS SOLD OUT OF THE FIRST 2 PRESSINGS WITH THE 3RD PRESSING AVAILABLE NOW. THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED SOPHOMORE ALBUM, “NICE ONE” , ALSO RELEASED ON BAD TIME RECORDS, WAS RELEASED ON AUGUST 6, 2022 AND WAS ACCOMPANIED WITH A SOLD OUT HOMETOWN SHOW, AND FOLLOWED BY EXTENSIVE TOURING. NICE ONE INCLUDES HITS LIKE “CALL YOUR BLUFF”, “EXCUSE ME MISS”, AND THE SOULFUL ROCKSTEADY TUNE, “BAD INFLUENCE”.

Chaser – “Dreamers”

Dreamers - Chaser

Release Date: April 09, 2021 Record Label: SBAM Records Release Type: AlbumBandcamp Link: Listen on Bandcamp

Dreamers is a 13-song burst of anthemic and melodic punk energy with self-reflecting and hopeful lyrics. It is a reminder to keep chasing your dreams and keep your head up. It’s the most personal album we have written, touching on the highs and lows of life, but as always, with a positive Chaser twist.

Death Lens

On record, Death Lens have an established habit of writing hard-nosed rock that combines West Coast reverbed-out surf punk with tight and bouncy Britrock, deceptively characterizing the band as exclusively chill and vibe-focused when live, a Death Lens show has all the energy of hardcore. Slick guitar sonics and sugary backing vocal harmonies that feel like the best parts of indie punk and shoegaze are the foundation of their style, but in a 200 capacity room, Death Lens brings the same winning concoction as Turnstile and Militarie Gun. In other words, these are the kinds of songs that become the soundtrack to enduring memories of nights of drunken, sweat-drenched singalongs.

Doc Rotten

Trenton, NJ

“High energy punk rock band from Trenton, New Jersey”

DS Album Premiere: Punt – “The Heat”

Happy Friday, comrades! In our ongoing effort to bring you the coolest new underground and independent punk rock releases out there, we’re fired up (see what we did there?) to get to spread the word about The Heat today! It’s the brand new album from NYC’s Punt, and it’s their first music in close to […]

Happy Friday, comrades!

In our ongoing effort to bring you the coolest new underground and independent punk rock releases out there, we’re fired up (see what we did there?) to get to spread the word about The Heat today! It’s the brand new album from NYC’s Punt, and it’s their first music in close to a decade!

Following an 8 year break after their last release, Oil, Punt came back together during a brutal heat wave in the Big Apple a couple years back. The resulting album, The Heat, hauls listeners through the grimy underbelly of the city, exploring the “random terrible thoughts” in Frank’s brain and delivering a fuzzed out and riff heavy salute to all things noir. 

Here’s what the band had to say about the release:

Punt has always been about music as a spontaneous social expression… hanging out together in a room and deferring to the voltage and the frequencies instead of really inserting yourself with all of your baggage or over-intellectualizing anything. We got together for a week during a heat wave and that’s exactly what we brought, that heat. This album deals with anger, revenge, passion and murder. We’re both extremely passionate and fiery personalities with an uncompromising vision. These songs reflect the more taboo parts of ourselves and helped us put our energy into something we can be proud of.

The Heat is out today on Trash Casual Records. Check it out below!

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