GOOD LUCK - WITHOUT HESITATION
in a world where three pieces often seem barren and hollow- good luck stands to prove this as untrue. their sophomore lp shows that they have much to offer since their last full length, into lake griffy, which since soon after its release has been played constantly by my friends and myself. i often worry about bands living up to their first release, especially when I have so much invested in their first recorded sentiments. but as i was getting ready for the fest 10, they announced that alternative press was hosting a stream of the album. in quite a giddy state, i listened to the opening notes of “all good people”, which to me is holds ground against the opener of griffy which is a favorite of mine. matt tobey, is a character whose playing and lyricism certainly resonates with me and his character shines so brightly throughout this album. unfortunately i wasn’t able to catch their set at fest, as I'd seen them over the summer and hadn’t seen dillinger four in a few years. but, in a conversation with my friend bryan who was running merch for bomb the music industry, i mentioned that i knew picking up this record was definitely one of my highlights of fest and it was only saturday. mid sentence, i see matt look up - locking eyes with me, and with the completion of my sentiment, he reciprocates with the nicest most sincere smiles i’ve ever seen. my intention wasn’t for him to hear, but this was certainly an image that stuck with me as i dropped the needle upon my return to boston. the entire release exceeded my expectation and this band continues to give me that warm feeling that it always has. if only they knew how many wide eyed, ear to ear smiling singalongs i’ve had set to the soundtrack of their music.
POLAR BEAR CLUB - CLASH BATTLE, GUILT PRIDE
i think everyone is familiar with that band that constantly puts out solid releases, but it always takes a few listens for anything to hit you or even stand out at all. polar bear club was constantly that band for me, while each release had those stand outs like “living saints”, accompanied by a rather unique video, not a whole lot stuck otherwise. even after seeing them last year, i couldn’t really say that their music would be something i’d find myself returning to repeatedly. but still, i jumped on this release as soon as i saw it was out, hoping that this would bridge the gap in my listening experience. i distinctly remember starting this album on an early commute to school this semester. the opening track “pawner” captured me immediately, taking what seemed to be more of a dramatic opening than i’d heard in the past. often, dramaturgic endeavors can be off-putting for me. but in this, i heard threads of what i saw their labelmates past and present pushing towards. Making what could’ve stayed a rather stagnant staple “hardcore”, dynamic and harmonious much like lemuria is doing for the label now and crime in stereo sought to do until their demise. the album in its entirety grabbed me unlike any of their others, and I think it stands as one of the most unique releases that bridge nine records has put out. though I was only to catch a few of their songs at fest due to pure exhaustion- they played most of the songs that I wanted to hear with such amazing attention-grabbing energy and the crowd reacted so positively. I really hope that this record continues to expose them to the crowds they deserve.
BOMB THE MUSIC INDUSTRY - VACATION
anyone that knows me, knows that bomb has been my soundtrack since i was in highschool. each album grabbing me in such an intensely unique way. first getting to know this band on the tail end of their support of their last jeff-only record, i’ve watched this band face the adversities of trying to make their music live up to the record as they made the switch from many programmed sounds and instruments weilded by one person with a vision. anyone that hasn’t witnessed an anxiously drunken bomb the music industry set, doesn’t have the insight that gives their more recent performances a proper contrast. To see this band grow from a rambling cast of interchangeable characters, to a cohesive group which offers such a beautiful statement of the sum of each individual member. anyone who complains that there is no “ska” on this record, doesn’t understand that bomb the music industry was never a ska band just as the clash were never a ska band. Its certainly hard when each bands release speaks to a certain part of your life, and forces you to recall those moments good and bad, to expect this to happen with each release. But as I’ve gotten to know these people more and more over the years, this release really speaks to my actual relationships with each member and the bitersweet memories I have watching this band find themselves to be widely recieved. This year, they have been asked to open for the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Though my friends have been in this position before, this is something that never would’ve crossed my mind when my band first played with them at the Great Scott when I was a senior in high school. Its wonderful to see this band grow to see the reception they’ve always deserved, but I’ll always remember these moments that I’ve spent with these people and their music in a detatched sense seperate from their reception. Because there are few bands more personal to me.
DEAD TO ME - MOSCOW PENNY ANTE
In the past year, the sounds of dead to me haven’t been far from my ears for long. Up to the point that this record was released, their first two lps were in constant rotation and especially their little brother ep which was one of the most infectious releases i consumed this year. It’s one thing to appreciate a band, but when you find yourself constantly playing their songs again and again, its an unmistakable feeling. This was a band that I hadn’t seen live until this year, but their albums have been resonating with me for quite some time, and the studio setting was my only experience with them. One of the things that I found most striking about this band is that they’ve needed to reapproach their sound each time they lost a member due to personal reasons. Their last seven inch, was until this release, the only captured version of this current lineup and I have to say, I don’t think it stood up to any of their previous releases. So I was somewhat worried about the release of this record and it’s consistency specifically. Before its release, I read a number of reviews that stated that this record was delivered with a similar energy to 2006’s Cuban Ballerina, which struck me in a way that left me perplexed as to why i didn’t hear it until a few years after its release. With the addition of Sam of New Mexican Disaster Squad, VRGNS and No Friends, the group tastefully reflects the input of their original vocalist while pushing their sound into new boundaries.
