Thursday, March 11, 2010

Rookie Lot / Yearly - 7" Split EP


Both Rookie Lot and Yearly were Long Island/New Jersey emo/punk/melodic hardcore bands with extremely short lifespans. Formed during the late 90s, neither of these bands made a huge impact and dissolved relatively quickly. So what makes this release so exciting? Well, consider the bands that the members of both Rookie Lot and Yearly went on to form or join. After The Rookie Lot disbanded, Jesse Lacey, Garrett Tierney, and Brian Lane formed Brand New. Brandon Reilly went on to found both The Movielife and Nightmare of You. Alex Dunne joined Crime In Stereo. From Yearly, Eben D'Amico went on to join Saves The Day, and the rest of the members formed The Stryder. Swallow all that at once.

This 7" Split EP features two songs from each of the bands. Both of the Rookie Lot tracks are obviously heavily influenced by Lifetime and Saves The Day, a direction which would continue with the bands that formed out of it. The Yearly's songs are both raw, but they showcase an obvious talent both technically and in songwriting that made them a potential emo super-group that may have broken up too soon. This release is very rare (only 1000 pressings were ever made) and it isn't easy to even find mp3 copies. Enjoy!

Rookie Lot - Anime


Monday, March 8, 2010

The Ambulars - Summer of the Ambulars


Okay, so let me start off this post by saying that I swear I am not going out of my way looking for dual male/female vocalists bands, but it sure seems like all of the bands I am digging these days fall into that mold. To be honest, I actually don't really know much about The Ambulars, other than what I've been able to read on their relatively thinly populated myspace and a blog entry or two. What I do know is that they were recommended to me by a friend, and the second I started listening, I thought "Yeah. I really dig this."

The Summer of the Ambulars is an appropriate title for the sound of this EP. Leaning more towards the pop-side of the pop-punk genre, The Ambulars have a sound that is makes me grasp at both Jawbreaker and Jimmy Eat World at the same time. I want to walk around in the springtime and get this stuck in my head. What really struck me about their sound was that the obviously DIY production value seems to point to something that would sound fucking great live. That is a great quality for a pop-punk band to have. Check this stuff out and keep an eye out for them hopefully coming around to your town.

The Ambulars - Northern


I can't find any place to purchase this EP online right now, so uh... download it and buy it on vinyl when they come to town!

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Iron Chic - Shitty Rambo EP


Admittedly, I have a soft-spot for New York/Long Island pop-punk. Iron Chic is a band that has proven that they are no exception to this rule. Iron Chic showed a ton of promise with their initial demo release and was hailed by some as the band that might keep Long Island pop-punk alive. I think those some were right.

Shitty Rambo, the 7" EP release from 2009 showcases a mid-tempo and super melodic sound that translates as well to studio recordings as any punk you will hear. The lyrics are well written, the singing dynamic, and the guitar parts memorable enough to not pass off as just another 3 chord band. Honestly, to me, this is one of those bands that sounds poppy and slickly produced enough while still remaining loyal to the slightly harder sounds of punk that could unite and be enjoyed by both kids who enjoy Brand New/Taking Back Sunday as well as Latterman/Small Arms Dealers. Really great stuff here.

Iron Chic - Don't Tell Me Stupid, Don't Show Me Fuck You


Buy this album (First Pressing is SOLD OUT!)

Download this album

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Moment - Moment EP

Moment holds a certain nostalgia for me. A Boston based emo/melodic hardcore/pop-punk outfit that really took off in the scene just as I was starting to look beyond my Drive-Thru Records compilations, Moment put out not just some of the best stuff in the Boston area, they put out some of the best stuff from anywhere during their time.

While the band put out several releases, including a full length album titled Songs For The Self Destructive,my favorite was always their self titled Moment EP. The five song EP clocks in at just 12 minutes and 16 seconds and has only one song over 3 minutes long, assuring that none of the emotional and melodic songs have a chance to get old. The song structures and pace change constantly, and the vocals switch between melody and screaming seamlessly. This is emo/melodic hardcore done right.

Moment - To Cancer


Buy their full length Songs For The Self Destructive

Download this EP

Smackin' Isaiah vs Driveshaft

This isn't really what I usually use this blog for, but this was too funny. Remember the New Bedford based band Smackin' Isaiah (now A Wilhelm Scream)? Well, I was listening to one of their old albums and realized that their song "Shot" sounds just like the fictional band Driveshaft's hit single "You All Everybody" from LOST! Check it out.

Smackin' Isaiah - Shot


Driveshaft - You All Everybody