Cougar Problems- Sonless EP/ tape review

Cougar Problems- Sonless EP/ CS review

I can’t help but wonder, “What the fuck am I listening to?” when I first put this on.  One would believe this music is akin to the gender-bending weirdoes found only in the recesses of social networking- identifiable, but only barely so.  The reverb on this is almost overwhelming, and since there is no guitar, the bass is seemingly tuned weird to compensate.  This is asymmetric noisy punk played at mid-tempo and without a guitar- one really has to be in the right state of mind to understand it- otherwise, it seems like nothing more than cacophonous, noisy, slightly rhythmic feedback.  You will probably never ask yourself this question, but what if the Shitlickers listened to Japanther or Wolf Eyes and made the guitars and bass sound similar, if not the same?  Cougar Problems would be the result.  Get these guys some gigs at the M.U.G., the D.A.A.C., or anywhere in Ypsilanti.  Weird noisy punky music- I really don’t know how to feel about it.

-Aunty Social

Nu-kle-er Blast Suntan- The Wheel of Fate is Turning 7” review

Nu-kle-er Blast Suntan- The Wheel of Fate is Turning 7” review

The first thing I can note about this is that the vocals (80-90% of the time) sound very different than those on the ‘Blot Out the Worthless Sun’ LP- however, intensity is still very much present.  The instrumentation is still very on point- weird as hell, yet still having enough of a linear focus to be able to bang’s one’s head to the tune of the music.  The guitar work is the truly unique, NBST mix of psychedelic, crust punk, hardcore, and thrashy riffs and licks, with bits of sheer mindfuckery spliced in.  All three songs are independently punishing tracks, “Judgment” being the best among them.  However, it is very difficult to explain NBST to someone who hasn’t heard them- rather than being a snobby hipster and pretending I’m awesome for discovering this awesome band that happens to be extremely unique, I instead implore anyone who likes extreme or weird music to give this EP a listen- while the LP is a little more forward, this is a step deeper into the psychedelic element that makes that band much more diverse and interesting.  This could be (in my opinion) one of the most unique, strangely punishing bands to watch out for.  Highly recommended.

-Aunty Social

Not Ok.- self-titled EP review

Not Ok.- self-titled EP review

This EP starts off very melodic and slow- it honestly sounds a lot like ‘The End’ by the Doors, at least instrumentally.  When the vocals kick in, it sounds a lot like a hardcore singer, and it works- usually this style isn’t that heavy, but the singer adds a very powerful vocal point that makes this band sound interesting.  The next song ‘Torrence’ is high-pitched hardcore, chugging along whilst retaining the emotional energy present in the first song.  I could break down walls to this song- good deal.  Next, ‘Poor Image’ has an intro that mixes the weird post/melodic hardcore sound with the faster hardcore, then segways into a strictly post-hardcore song.  I like this off-the-beaten-path style of music mixed with my traditional hardcore- it’s very off-kilter and odd, but uniquely charming.  ‘Untitled’ is like a Tragedy song, tuned back to normal, distortion lowered, and the singer not sounding so British- aside from those things, this sounds like it could be a Tragedy song if it was tweaked right, or vice versa.  Lastly, ‘Bye Bye Blackbird’ starts off with a post hardcore-ish sound, then dives into a more modern hardcore sound and cruises along until venturing into something I can’t quite discern the sound origination of- some feedback, some negative, shouted vocals that ring like a more emotional Earthmover, and just a tinge of metalcore.  Like I said, weird and not quite explicit in genre, but strangely enjoyable.  Even if it leaves you scratching your head, it’s recommended for a listen or two, at least.

-Aunty Social

Disobey- Human Suffering in Five Moments tape review

Disobey- Human Suffering in Five Moments CS review

Extremely heavy and mystic, the only band I can truly compare these guys to is His Hero Is Gone, whom they sound like an unrefined demo version of- nothing wrong with that.  These songs are mostly mid-tempo and focus more on the brooding, dark tone than the speed or the breakdowns.  That being said, this sounds like a 90s era Cold As Life worship band just discovered HHIG (or Tragedy, or anything the Burdette brothers do, for that matter) and decided it was their new favorite band.  This is definitely off-kilter for a crust band to play, and it’s pretty damn good.  Not over or under-produced, everything is mostly clear in tone (although my tape deck gives a little fuzzy feedback that unpleasantly distorts things), and not everything is linear and straightforward.  If nothing else, these guys get credit for being able to fit on a hardcore crusty punk bill without too much difference between the bands they’d probably play with.  Not on a Tragedy or a Civil D level, but well worth tape trading and listening to.

-Aunty Social

The Hysterics- self-titled EP review

The Hysterics- self-titled EP review

I can’t stop listening to this record.  It is that good.  As jaded as I feel and outwardly am sometimes, this is the most exciting band I’ve come across since I first happened upon Question, and I like both of those bands for similar reasons.  Regardless, I am absolutely in love with this record right now.

The lyrics are brilliantly written- every single song is insightful and makes me think.  ‘Arm Candy’ is about how women come along and makes guys in the scene look good… and rejecting it in favor of independence.  I never thought I’d hear such an insightful but positive message- now that I have, I can fully support it!  ‘Dow Jones’ is about the stock trade and how the pursuit of money takes the soul out of things- it’s too true (despite my being a college major of Business Administration, I do see the ultimate evil in the raw pursuit of money- it is a soul-trapping endeavor).  That, and the way the singer is able to rattle off the words is nothing short of amazing (reminds me a lot of how Mike Ratt sang in U.D.I.).  ‘Correct Me’ is the stand-out track, lyrically speaking- it’s inexplicable, but everything said here has rattled around my brain years.  I believe it has to do with having a very different (read:  accurate) viewpoint and outlook on life, and being “corrected” for it being considered wrong- absolutely brilliant.  ‘Sunk’ is another lyrical piece of gold, and the slower tempo of the song brings a sense of urgency to the words.  ‘Deformative Years’ is another lightning-fast blast, being both sonically and lyrically brutal.  And now the E.P. closes with ‘Hanging Out at the 512’, which is a lyrical mindfuck that still manages to be absolutely brilliant.  I never thought that a line about taking a shit at Wendy’s would qualify as brilliant, but The Hysterics proved me utterly wrong.

Sonically, the music is a blend of 80s hardcore and some garage-y punk and maybe some riot grrl, and they manage to take the best parts out of all of them and make one great sonic ball of ferociously awesome hardcore punk that is utterly addicting.  ‘Correct Me’ is one of the best songs to ever come out of any hardcore scene, anywhere.  Yes, it is THAT good.  The music makes me want to jump off tables and punch people in the face, and the lyrics are just amazing, in the way that I wish I could write like that.  The instrumentation is spot on, the mix is neat and even, and the package of the record itself is awesome.

I cannot possibly recommend this album and band more.  This is everything hardcore ever could have been and should be.  Excellent, brilliant, awesome, great… I’ll run out of adjectives to describe how positively I feel about this band and album before I get tired of it.  If you only buy one album this week/ month/ year/ the rest of your life, buy this.

-Aunty Social