Bitter Fruit release ‘It Gets Worse’
For those searching for a queercore band with palpable '80s goth and death rock influences, let me turn you to the direction of Oakland band Bitter Fruit. Getting their start in 2010, the band plays campy, dark jams to the tune of Alien Sex Fiend and Christian Death. And on September 16, the band will be releasing their second album, It Gets Worse. As a retort to the political and corporate sponsorship going on in a queer community near you, Bitter Fruit reject those practices of normativity. Case in point, the track "Rainbow", a bitter (they're called Bitter Fruit for a [...]
Joyride! releases new LP ‘Bodies of Water’
The first time I saw San Francisco's Joyride! was with San Jose's recently broken up Sourpatch. And from then on, it's easy to say that I was hooked. Come September 18, the female-fronted punk band with poppier influences will have released their third album, Bodies of Water. Tracked, mixed and mastered by Jack Shirley from Atomic Garden, the release has become readily available by the likes of Lauren Records and Salinas Records. There's a certain wiseness and power in the band's lyrics, and an unabashed honesty that's reticent of a person divulging a passage from their diary. Joyride! confronts insecurities [...]
Synthetic ID comes out with ‘Escapement’ EP on Crime on the Moon
If anything is for certain, San Francisco's Synthetic ID is a post punk band that doesn't have time for drudgery. While other bands of their ilk go for a more sullen approach, Synthetic ID harnesses their aggression to power through each song like a well-oiled machine. Synthetic ID is releasing their newest EP, Escapement, on Hannah Lew's label, Crime on the Moon. Each record comes with a unique silk-screened, hand painted cover. At just under ten minutes, the band blasts through the release in record time. Synthetic ID keeps with the jagged-sounding post punk we've become accustomed to by the band. Taut [...]
Swans to play the Independent in September
The first Swans album I ever listened to was their 1987 release Children of God. Instantly I felt as if I were swaddled by layers upon layers of bad feelings. Combining elements of brutality with bandleader Michael Gira's snarl and former member Jarboe's eerily sweet and baroque-like stylings, the album proved to be an emotional roller coaster (for me at least). But I liked it. Embracing those bad feelings, I felt my spirit lift upon finishing the album. Like many of Swans' industrial-influenced releases within the past thirty years, the band's punishing sound has ultimately proved cathartic for some. But [...]
Bicycle Day release ‘I Had A Place To Be’
There's something to admire about East Bay-based band Bicycle Day. And their debut album, I Had A Place To Be, can fully back that notion. Recorded in Anaheim's Thee Mens Warehouse - a collective studio, venue, label, rehersal and art space - the album is a collection of songs that combine elements of punk, surf, and psych. With captivating riffs that oscillate between being surfy to sludgy in nature and apathetic vocals to match, the outfit has crafted a patented blend of music that they can call their very own. But don't take my word for it. Listen to the album in [...]
White Lung to play Rickshaw Stop with Wax Idols, REDREDRED
In this day and age, it's not hard to find and discover incredibly influential female musicians. This is the point where I direct you to a show that just so happens to feature a handful of 'em. Canadian punk band White Lung is playing a show with Wax Idols and REDREDRED at the Rickshaw Stop on July 22. White Lung, hot off the release of their third album Deep Fantasy on Domino Records last month, is a band not to be missed. Known for intricate guitar riffs and powerful vocals with a post punk twist, the band is known for [...]
Magik Markers play Hemlock Saturday with CCR Headcleaner, Jackie O Motherfucker
For those looking for a "rock show" that lends itself more toward raucous, primitive sounds, look no further: New England's Magik Markers is coming to town with local scuzz rockers CCR Headcleaner and Portland's Jackie O Motherfucker, July 19 at Hemlock Tavern. Magik Markers came out of (somewhat) obscurity last year with their first release in four years, Surrender to the Fantasy on Drag City. Unlike previous releases, Magik Markers played with more conventional forms of song structure underneath a thick coat of feedback and general noisiness that the band is known for. Take a gander at their video for [...]
Bad Daddies release new 7″ on Negative Fun Records
The East Bay's very own Bad Daddies have something new to bring to the table: a new 7-inch brought to you by Negative Fun Records. As part of the label's 2014 Subscription Singles Club, the release rips through its four songs with intensity and vigor. The lead singer Camylle's roaring vocals are backed by an endless onslaught of distorted, feedback laden instrumentals in this four-song EP. Case in point: the opening track, "You Ain't Right". To see what all the fuss is about, listen to the release below: https://soundcloud.com/beartrappr/bad-daddies-you-aint-right/s-kcFKB
The Gizmos to play Hemlock on Monday
Many important things happened in 1980: Ronald Reagan was elected President of the United States, Mt. St. Helens erupted, and (most importantly) The Gizmos released a split with Dow Jones & the Industrials called Hoosier Hysteria. With bratty power pop songs about bible belt babies and a found hatred for progressive rock, the band helped produce one of the more solid splits of the '80s. And thanks to Burger Records-induced nostalgia, the band will be playing a few shows in the Bay Area. Considered one of the Midwest's first punk bands, the current lineup includes original members such as Kenne Highland, [...]
Cold Beat to release debut LP ‘Over Me’
(Photo by Madeline Allard) Cold Beat is at it again. After the band's essential debut of the Worms/Year 5772 EP on Hannah Lew's very own Crime on the Moon, the band is coming out with its first full length album Over Me on July 8. Themes of romantic imagery, paranoia, and an ever-present sense of impending doom come together to form a dynamic release. Over Me is available for purchase via Midheaven Mailorder, with part of the proceeds going to Charity: Water. For a taste of what the album is shaping up to be, check out the eery post punk [...]