Sylvain Sylvain, guitarist for glam punk rockers New York Dolls has lost his battle with cancer according to his personal Facebook page:
“As most of you know, Sylvain battled cancer for the past two and 1/2 years. Though he fought it valiantly, yesterday he passed away from this disease. While we grieve his loss, we know that he is finally at peace and out of pain. Please crank up his music, light a candle, say a prayer and let’s send this beautiful doll on his way,”
If there’s anything to say about 2020, it is this: I miss live shows. I miss seeing local bands play small bars and I miss cramming into over-priced corporately owned venues to see sold out shows.
I know I am not the only one who says this to themselves daily. This year has not the the greatest by any means given the current situation.
I’ve tried hard to do things on this blog when I had some free time and want to once again thank everyone who has offered up something for review or checked out any of the posts I tossed together usually afterhours while everyone in my household was fast asleep.
I cannot end this year without pushing out a Best Of List. I know I am cutting it close this time. I feel this was the year I really tried to listen to more artists I never heard of before and honestly, I was impressed with tons of releases. I started with 10 and said screw that as all these bands that dropped impressive releases need to be shared. As usual, I will probably add to it after this goes live.
Thanks for keeping me going y’all. I do appreciate it.
BEST OF 2020
(in no particular order)
The Avalanches – We Will Always Love You
I have loved this band since they started 20 years back. They have a way with mixing samples appropriately. I especially grew fond of this one because it was more of a journey than a collaboration of sound.
Get Dead – Dancing with the Curse
This release is raw, unhinged, and perfect in every way possible. I can only imagine what these dudes sound like on stage… This was probably the most listened to album of the year by yours truly. I cannot get enough of it.
Shuffle and Bang – Island Pop
Island Pop was the surprise drop of 2020 that I needed to distract me from all the bad. This is a soulful delight that I’ve gotten lost in many times and literally found myself in a better mood because of it. If there was one band I would love to see play live currently, Shuffle and Bang are my top choice.
Run The Jewels – RTJ4
This duo does no bad. I am not shocked that this was one of my fav releases this year. They always entertain. I am bummed I missed seeing them play with Rage this past summer and only can hope the rescheduled date stands.
Broadway Calls – Sad in the City
This pop-punk release is going to be something I probably listen to for the rest of my life. No joke, this album started off as strong as it ended and became an instant favorite of mine.
The Lawrence Arms – Skeleton Coast
This album is damn near perfect and I know I am not the only who who thinks this. Why go on about these guys when everyone knows how much they rule.
HUM – Inlet
I have waited over 20 years for Hum to release new material and this did not disappoint one bit. After each listen I find a stronger appreciation for what they have created.
Maxwell Stern – Impossible Sum
An outstanding effort by someone who I’m lucky to call a pal. I have watched him mature over the past 10 years and expect things to get even better as he continues onward. Now hurry up and drop Signals Midwest LP4 already!
Be Well – The Weight and the Cost
Catchy as hell, melodic hardcore fun. With the roster in this lineup, it was not shocking how killer the entire album was and how things built up all the way to the end. This was one that made the blood flow as well as the feelings emerge.
SkyTigers – Eulorgy
A release by some Boston punks who’ve been at it for 10 years now. This debut clearly needed to drop during this shit year. It’s powerful, angry, and just insane. The opening track alone proves that.
Slug Fest – Animal
Cleveland surf punk rock may not be something you knew existed, but I assure you it rules. This album is full of jams and guarantees a good time. This is one band I can not wait to see in-person.
The House of Wills – “true crime’
This lo-fi release by Cleveland’s JV is everything to me. I fell in love with it upon first listen and love how they put their heart and soul into it. This is the one release that deserves all the attention. This falls somewhere between Fred Thomas and Daniel Johnston if I am being totally honest. Was JV going for that? Not sure, but it’s more real than most stuff that dropped this year.
Stolen Wheelchairs – The America
These guys are about as punk as they get. If their band name is shocking to you, wait until you listen to this straight up punk rock disaster. I loved every moment of it.
Bob Mould – Blue Hearts
This may very well be the best thing Mould has done in quite some time. I find comfort through Mould as he doesn’t back down as the years progress. Do not sit on this one.
Brain Cave – Stuck in the Mud
Brain Cave’s debut rules on so many levels. I have spoken highly about this release to many folk since it dropped because it’s that damn good. This was my go to when I just could not decide with to listen to at any given moment.
I Am The Avalanche – Dive
I’ve been a fan of these guys for a while now, but this album is probably my favorite to date. Punk rock at its finest.
Somerset Thrower – Paint My Memory
This release brought back the best 90s punk rock vibes. I honestly never got into these guys prior, but clearly that changed. Excellent throughout.
Spanish Love Songs – Brave Faces Everyone
This band can bum me out so much and I love them for it. Easily one of my fav acts out there and this release certainly showcases why.
The Dead Krazukies – Icarus
I do not expect a ton of folk to know who this act is yet, but I have a feeling they will in time. All I could say to myself the first time I heard them was, “holy shit.” This is power punk rock without over-exaggerating it. You can tell the band loves playing and there wasn’t a single lull in the release. I can not recommend them enough.
Don Yoder – Everything is Nothing
This release came out of nowhere from a guy from another Cleveland band who wanted to make a country album. The result is an incredible, non-gimmicky grouping of songs that, unless you knew who wrote them, you’d think a seasoned alt-country musician wrote them.
Rope – Crimson Youth
Tossing the Tiny God Inc. released cassette cover here as they are the reason I even got into these guys. This is the post-grunge, hardcore album I needed this year. Talk about a brutal release…
Red City Radio – Paradise
This band continues to get better with each release. This one in particular was a solid listen that I’m currently obsessed with.
Anti-Flag – 20/20 Vision
Totally forgot to add this one to the list initially. This political, punk rock stand against the government is as impactful as it is catchy. This band might be getting up there in age, but my god, they have no intention of slowing down or steering away from their cause.
TRVSS – New Distances
Grungy, noisy post-punk rage- rippers are what this release is all about. This Pittsburgh act deserves some serious attention.
Guilty Pleasure of the Year:
Machine Gun Kelly – Tickets to My Downfall
I won’t lie, I played the ever-lasting hell out of this. It is a pop-punk, catchy release and I am probably too old to enjoy it as much as I have. I never was a MGK fan before he collaborated with Travis Barker, but stranger things have happened.
Best Covers Album of the Year:
NOFX & Frank Turner – West Coast vs. Wessex
I can not tell you how stoked I was when I learned of this concept coming to life. Two of my favorite acts covering each other’s tunes in their own style. The finished product was far from some speedy effort. Both parties did an excellent job with their own renditions.
Just check out the video below for proof:
Like I said, I am sure I will be adding a few more here and there. 2020 really was full of good music by great artists. I think I am most impressed with the fact that even though everything had to shut down because of a global pandemic, musicians did everything possible to continue creating.
With that said, artists and bands are still struggling financially because of not being able to tour. I know they are not the only ones, but if you have the means to, support musicians by buying their physical or digital release and skip the popular streaming services. You know damn well they don’t make shit from streaming.
Hell, one up yourself and get some sweet swag while you are at it. If one of the bands I spoke about sounds interesting, check them out, and if you love it, buy it. Anything helps right now.
Thanks for reading and I sincerely hope that I enlightened you to 1 or 2 new bands that you will adore just like I did. Happy New Year y’all!
Cleveland surf punkers Slug Fest have dropped a gritty, goodtime as hell release titled Animal that we all deserve.
Wait, did I just say “Cleveland” and “surf punk” in the same sentence? You bet your grits I did. By now you are probably asking yourself how is surf punk even possible in the rust belt, but I assure you it is, it works, and it’s outstanding.
Hailing from the shallow waters of Lake Erie, Deirdre McCafferty, Michael Luciano, and Michael Stanis share a love for proto punk, garage rock, and psychedelic noise that in turn helped shape their sound. The surf riffs were just an added enhancement that made Animal even better.
Starting off was “Never Be Your Baby”, a banger of a song that was just bad ass to listen to. I loved when things slowed down only to explode again. One song in and I was completely digging it.
When “On The Run” started it just gave me energy and captured my attention in the best way. The change up in the middle had me smiling while nodding my head in approval.
Title track “Animal” was equal parts 80s punk as it was garage rock. The bass riff combined with the non-stop guitar playing just made for a hell of a tune to listen to. Not much singing, but plenty of riffs and jams. I have the feeling this song live would be amazing.
Noise-heavy, “Surf Demon” was an adventurous journey with plenty of fuzz and fun. Loved the breakdown towards the end where you can clearly hear the trio having a blast doing what they love to do.
“Moonlight Power” was to me the track on the album that showed the true dynamic of this band. At times I was reminded of Ween as it was all over the place, but that’s not a bad thing. In fact, it was one of my favorite songs on the release. The best part of this track was the horror-laced theme throughout.
“Luce Potentia” was surf noise at its finest. I loved the mysteriousness on this track that seemingly could fuel an angry ride around the city. The drums were chaotic, the guitars never held back, and the singing was enchanting.
This threesome seemingly came out swinging with their impressive style and Animal is the proof. Imagine the fun of Japandroids mixed with the fuzz noise of bands like Muhammadali but with surf riffs galore and you’ll have a slight inclination of what this infectious sound is all about.
The band actually said that “Animal was intended to be a collection of big, standalone bangers that capture how we sound and play live. Our shows are usually exceedingly loud and hectic/high energy and we wanted to make recordings that express/capture that.” I can honestly say they achieved that.
My only suggestion to this trio is to press this release on wax so I can spin it daily. I’ve listening to this album a ton over the last month with no intentions of taking a break. Certainly well received by this listener.
The band was supposed to play an exclusive show at the Grog Shop this month, but that stupid virus got in the way and cancelled it. Look for this talented, young threesome to smash some heads in 2021. They will not go unnoticed.
Check out more on the band’s Facebook and Bandcamp
Also, if you think you can’t surf in Cleveland, you are clearly mistaken as seen here:
Perhaps the hardest sounding band on the Fat Wreck Chords roster -sorry Me First and the Gimme Gimmes- Western Addiction is back with an all new album and it freaking shreds. I think the best thing about this is that we only had to wait 3 years for them to pump out more tunes.
Featuring veteran punks, some of who were perviously Fat staff, Western Addiction are not your ordinary punk band. It’s their sounds of punk, melodic hardcore, and even doses of metal that make this band so unique and just badass.
Hailing from San Francisco, this is the band’s third release and was produced by Jack Shirley who, if you know the name, has helped with more than a few amazing releases.
Starting off the album was “The Leopard and the Juniper”, a precise, methodical hard track that clearly wasn’t just thrown together overnight. The lyrics are out of this world, or at least dimension, and carry well with the brutal guitar playing.
“They Burned Our Paintings’ was just insane. Based off true events, this track recalled the demise of masterpieces without stepping away from the canvas. I loved the lyrics: “You can burn our paintings. We’ll dream a thousand more. Each one more coercive than before”. I just could sense the passion and willingness to fight for creation on this track.
There was something about “Lurchers” that had me thinking about Dave Mustaine often. This track honestly could have passed for a Megadeth track and I do not mean that in a bad way at all. Of course at the end of the track Jason Hall makes a grunt that solidified my notion.
“Rose’s Hammer I” and “Rose’s Hammer II” clearly were about the perils of motherhood. I have to credit Hall and crew for taking a personal approach on their beliefs and putting it to music. Once I learned that Hall’s wife is a doula, it made even more sense. Both tracks are a clear tribute to bringing in life and she who is responsible for it.
“Wildflowers of Italy” was probably my favorite track on the album with a more of a 80s/90s metal feel. Far from cheesy, this track just spoke to me for some reason. I loved the shift of the track when the piano just busted in making for a great listen most likely because it reminded me of some classic TSOL.
“Deranged By Grief” closed the album down with an almost haunting start that just shifted into an all out assault. Tracks like this are why I adore this band.
I’ve listened to Frail Bray a few times now, and my god, it just keeps getting better with each listen. I’m sure I have said that about other albums in the past, but this really hold true. They seemingly touch on so many decades of punk/metal/hardcore without intention and I think that’s what makes them so unique.
I have to admit, I was a little stoked when Doug Carrion emailed me the other day asking me to check out his new band called Field Day.
In case you were not aware, Carrion has been in some of the greatest punk bands out there including Dag Nasty and Descendents. So yeah, I might have geeked out slightly.
Field Day formed in 2019 after Carrion and other Dag OGs Brian Baker and Peter Cortner tossed around the idea of performing Dag Nasty’s Wig Out At Denko’s (Dischord Records) and Field Day (Giant Records) live. The discussion turned over a new leaf in terms of a band and Carrion and Cortner decided to start the band.
The band has a 7″ titled 2.0 coming out this summer and the one track I heard called “Searching For Answers” is just solid. They were supposed to play Now That’s Class in support of the release, but that stupid virus had to go and ruin that for now.
Seeing how we are all stuck indoors, I thought I’d ask Carrion a few questions about the new band:
DC: The idea of a reboot was mostly driven by the fans asking where Peter was hiding and if we would ever perform the Wig Out at Denko’s material live. Just to be super clear, Field Day is the band with me and Peter Cortner who sang on Wig Out at Denko’s and Field Day (Giant Records), Kevin Avery, and Shay Mehrdad.
Between the fans asking, and a few conversations with the members, we agreed that Peter and I would call this project Field Day in order to avoid confusion with the fans and promoters. Now, when you see a flyer with Field Day on it, you know it’s Peter and Doug and if you see a flyer with Dag on it, that’s gonna be Shawn and Brian.
What was the turning point in the discussion to where you decided that maybe it was best to just try something new?
Peter and I talked about Field Day being an extension of where we left off with Dag Nasty, so I’d say maybe that was right at the beginning of the conversation in Nov 2018. Our initial goal was to have fun, start doing shows, start writing and to start recording. We gave ourselves around 9 months to work on the live show and then set our minds on having new music done and released within the first year. Well, our first show as Field Day was July 12th, 2019 and we have new music recorded and coming out June 5th, 2020…that’s 11 months from the first show!!!
Prior to me hearing “Searching For Answers” and getting ever so pumped for more material, I noticed y’all were supposed to play a Cleveland show. Sadly this pandemic prevented that from happening. How’s the band handling all of this and will the tour happen in time?
Glad you like it!! Yep, we have a new 7” coming out on Unity Worldwide in Germany, distributed by Cortex in Europe and RevHQ here in the states. I produced it, Cameron Webb (Pennywise, Ignite, Motorhead) mixed it. If you’re a vinyl fan, you can preorder a few different colors from the distributors and if you just want to download the songs, iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, etc. will have music June 5th.
Cleveland, along with a bunch of other shows, had to be postponed which was frustrating, but had to be done. We’re hoping to get back to Cleveland in late July but that really depends if the local and state governments are allowing concerts. For the states it’s up in the air at the moment.
Separately, we are scheduled to go to Europe [from] October 31st to November 8th and we’re hoping that comes together. It’s also out of our hands and up in the air, but a possibility. Although we haven’t been playing live shows because of the virus, during the downtime, we’ve stayed really busy doing press, a lyric video, interviews, and etc to set up this 7”. Also we’ve been writing new songs for our next release possibly later this year. On our end we’re ready to jump right back into the studio as soon as we get the OK.
What can Dag Nasty and Descendents fans expect from Field Day?Positive vibes and singalongs for sure!! We play almost everything from Wig Out at Denko’s and Can I Say with a few select tracks from the Field Day recording. Expect to have fun and be projected into a time warp because Field Day play the recorded songs true to form.
Our motto in the band is “Be Humble and Don’t Suck.” Over the past 10 months of shows, we’ve met lots of new faces, reconnected with old friends and everyone is having a blast!!
Another thing people can expect is the informal hangout with the band after the show. Usually two weeks before a show, we start getting requests from people who want to get photos or have stuff signed when we come into their town, so we started building in time after the shows to hangout with fans. It’s really cool!!
