Tear Off//Clean Up/Don't Get Bored split tape review

Tear Off//Clean Up/Don’t Get Bored split tape review

Tear Off//Clean Up’s melodic punk has a non-straight edge 7 Seconds vibe to it- very sing-songy, but with some energy behind the instruments.  These guys should be the band that gets the beer drinkin’ beardos energized to see bands at Riot Fest, in a good way.  Melodic and energetic in a way that says “You can mosh but you don’t have to”.  I see fist pumps being more favorable here.

Don’t Get Bored is the kind of band that would fit perfectly in 1980s Midwest nowhere/anywhere.  Snotty, contemptible, and juvenile, yet full of energy and honest, ya gotta love it.  Sonically, it could fit in next to something like Pure Disgust, but the band taken as a whole definitely is a thing in itself.

-Aunty Social

Don't Get Bored- self titled review

Don’t Get Bored- self titled review

This is the godchild of John Brannon and Todd Swalla; pure, unadulterated, no additives, one hundred percent 80s Midwest snot.  The only difference between the two eras is the higher production quality.  The Necros vibe is almost unreal; I love it.  Deep Wound and Jerry’s Kids also have a little influence here- maybe they have an uncle from Massachusetts.  Just imagine if it were the 80s again, because this band perfectly embodies that vibe- the juvenile, nascent, short-sighted, live-for-today zeitgeist.

-Aunty Social

Tear Off//Clean Up- demo tape review

Tear Off/Clean Up- demo tape review

This is blue collar melodic hardcore punk with a heavy sing-a-long vibe a la 7 Seconds, Frank White, early Descendents, and the like.  It’s well put together, but doesn’t perfectly match up with the rhythms of the song, which is part of what gives it the soul that it has.  It’s clear, but not clean- hell, you could give this to a crusty in between their shitty Contravene discography CD, Disclose bootleg tape that they paid $100 for and it still sounds like shit, and a still unwrapped LP of Mischief Brew’s latest record, and it would fit in just fine.  These are some cool catchy guitar driven punk rock songs.  Buy a pint of R&R and a pack of Native Spirits for the complete TO/CU experience.

-Aunty Social

Ill Blood- Prisoner of Life tape review

Ill Blood- Prisoner of Life EP review

Mid-tempo hardcore definitely taking a few cues from 90s bands (both hardcore and non-hardcore bands), especially given the sort of groovy riffs the guitar player rings out.  Mix in a few mosh riffs, a few breakdowns, and some simplistic though decipherable lyrics, you’ve got this group, Toledo’s Ill Blood.  The vocals for this kind of music are usually more guttural and low, and here, they are more often than not shrill and high; it’s not different in terms of quality.  The guitar work here is very good; it’s distinct and clicks in your brain right away.  I wish there were more memorable riffs on here, but that’s not to say they’re bad.  In fact, the guitar is the best thing about this band.  The bass is cleverly disguised between the guitar and drum sounds, though it rings out independently a couple of times.  The drums are clear and well-played, you’ve gotta love the smoothness here.  For fans of mid-2000s era Bridge Nine bands, no doubt.  I’m not feeling it as much as I anticipate others might be, but this is worth a jam.  Now, let’s hope for a split 7” and see what they can do when backed with a completely different band’s sound.  I feel like this is a lot like the movie Shaft- definitely an acquired taste, kind of cheesy and campy, but you can dig it.

-Aunty Social

Dismantle- In Stride tape review

Dismantle- In Stride tape review

Mixing 80s hardcore and what I call new age hardcore (the sort of metalcore-influenced mid-tempo hardcore done by bands like Expire, Rotting Out, Trapped Under Ice, the Mongoloids, Backtrack, Malfunction, Take Offense, Soul Search, etc.), this tape is a little different than the band’s ‘Complaints’ 7”, but in a good way.  This seems to be more go than slow, and has a very distinct guitar tone, not too far off from the ones used in Nardcore bands- in short, it’s more punk than hardcore, and I like it.  The vocals are slightly nascent shouts delivered in differing bursts of length, with words/lyrics largely aligned to a philosophy of “fish out of water, but certainly not out of place”; it’s relatable and individualistic.  The lyrics are better here, but still comparable to the EP, so not fantastic but not bad either; par/birdie for the course.  For a demo, I dug it pretty well.  Also, I must say that the last song has a bass line very much like Negative Approach’s classic ‘Ready to Fight’, and that’s cool as hell.

-Aunty Social

Professor- Publish or Perish EP review

Professor- Publish or Perish EP review

This is college-core.  Punkademia.  Hardcore with a smartass, sarcastic sense of humor, yet not lacking in the bite of some of the songs, not afraid to make nods to the influences of the band- Descendents, Integrity, Tragedy, Sick of It All, Hüsker Dü, and anarcho punk/crack rock steady.  Even though the music is largely written with a sense of disillusion and discontent, the humor of the lyrics still hits a bit harder, which isn’t always good; however, here it tends to be complimentary rather than detrimental.  Taking away the context and value of the lyrical content, the music is standard Midwest/east coast hardcore with a sense of speed and heaviness to it.  Another band from Toledo waving the flag of TOHC and contributing to their end of the scene- whether they are their own scene or an extension of other ones is a matter of perspective, but this EP definitely stands on its own.  Worth the listen.

-Aunty Social

React- Drown 7” review

React- Drown 7” review

A simplistic, albeit enjoyable band in a multitude of ways, React proudly waves the flag of Toledo hardcore, though they are no doubt regulars to the Michigan scene as well.  This brand of hardcore has much in common with the likes of Integrity, late-era Negative Approach (they even cover ‘Evacuate’ on the record), Best Wishes-era Cro-Mags, early 90s-era Agnostic Front, and Sick of It All.  In short, it’s hardcore infused with a heavy, metallic sound, but not quite under the umbrella of metalcore.  The vocals heave the heaviest sense of this sound, a raspy banshee who continues to growl with desperate fervor, though the guitar’s deep, heavy tone is another factor in this sound.  The drums, meanwhile, convey the sound of a punk band on speed more than anything else.  The album art is simple, but as one knows, simple is not always easy- however, I’ve not found a deeper meaning to it.  Not a bad EP.

-Aunty Social

Frank & Earnest, React, NRR, and Professor at Frankie's, February 16th show review

Frank & Earnest, React, NRR, and Professor at Frankie’s 02/16/12 show review

I was super-stoked about this show; FOUR bands I hadn’t seen before, and they were all from Toledo, an area I had yet to explore in detail.  What was to dislike, especially this being a well-attended local show?  Nothin’ at all.

This was one of the better shows I’ve been to since Riot Fest and a house show in Pontiac a week after that; all the band brought it, even the stray Lansing band, Frank & Earnest.  While more of a melodic punk band than a full-blown hardcore band, they still managed to do what they do best, very well.  I don’t dig melodic punk that much, but even I can see that these dudes are well-versed in the art of punk and also happen to have musical talent.  It’s another band that falls under “They’re good at what they do, but I don’t like what they do” to me; Frank & Earnest definitely have value, and I appreciated the set for what it was.

Next was React, who replaced Detroit band Poison Tongues at the last minute, and for the better- React was violent hardcore, furiously pissed and angrily bringing the mosh; alternating intense powerviolence anger and breakdown hardcore, React was an utterly intense band from beginning to end, never letting up for even a song.  Holy shit, this band is pissed the fuck off, and I loved it.  Their EP did not convey nearly what they put together live, and for this, I’m glad I got to see where these dudes really shine before rendering any lasting judgment in regard to them.  This band is backed, hard as FUCK.

Next was NRR, another group from Toledo.  These guys play darker hardcore that doesn’t let up on speed or on breakdowns; this group was energized as hell for this set, and it showed.  The singer radiated with fury, and the guitars pushed so fast that it was near breakneck speed punk.  I wish these dudes would come out with an EP; they definitely deserve the acknowledgement.  Dark hardcore with mosh, speed, and Toledo blood?  Sign me up for an annual subscription.

Closing the show was Professor, this exemplary youth crew band without too much experience in playing.  From the looks and sounds of it all, they don’t need experience; they’ve already crafted an excellent, energetic, vivacious vibe present in both their live show and in their EP titled “Corientation” (more on that record later; short story is that it rules).  To top off their great set, the lead singer actually got on stage dressed in a full professor outfit, clad with sport jacket, turtleneck, long pants, and scraggly beard.  But this was no ordinary square university professor; this guy had all the energy of Bold, Judge, and Ten Yard Fight.  The night ended with the band’s signature song “FAFSA”, which had a good number of people singing the chorus.

Youth crew got its unity back, and Toledo has a niche of hardcore crafted.  Best show I’ve attended in a long while.

-Aunty Social