Long Knives are a band with members from across the Bay Area who play a nostalgic mix of pop-punk and indie that reminds me of The Get Up Kids – crystal clear vocals, sliding octaves and rock steady drumming that never crowds the composition. While it’s not a new sound, they’re executing it well – after playing with Michigan emo heavyweights Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate) last October, Long Knives were immediately approached by that band’s Keith Latinen and asked to release music on his label Count Your Lucky Stars. The label has been curating indie and emo since 2007 and made waves with the recent resurgence in emo’s mainstream vitality.

Their debut EP’s cover features monotonous industrial rooftops and the title This is Your Life; it’s unclear whether they’re looking inward or making a comment on the wearing routine of someone else’s life choices, but their self-described “sad music for sad people” has an undeniably hopeful tinge to it. The EP came out at the beginning of this month and is available through Count Your Lucky Stars here. There’s not a note out of place on the whole thing and the production is very clean, lending itself to repeat listens. While the majority of the songs stick to mid tempo grooves, “Unwelcome Guest” opens with thrashing mathy riffs that brings to mind Braid. The band intends to work on an LP later this year and has a four-way split currently in the pipes, making this release the beginning of a busy year for Long Knives.

The group are making their show with Frameworks and Prawn their record release, a good choice considering the venue will be filled out with Topshelf Records devotees. Oakland all stars Crush will be opening with their awesome brand of hard hitting power shoegaze. Ticket link is below and so is a stream of This is Your Life.

 

 
Prawn, Frameworks, Unconditional Arms, Long Knives, Crush
Thee Parkside
April 24, 2015
9pm, $12 (all ages)