Rational Animals - Bock Rock Parade

Rational Animals - Bock Rock Parade

These dudes sound like the perfect blend of Black Flag and Black Sabbath. This came out in the fall on Katorga Works (which is one of the best labels going) and it totally caught me by surprise with it's awesomeness. Bock Rock Parade is a total fucking beast of an album; It's punk, it's hardcore, and it's fucking metal. There is some serious Ginn worship going on here. This is one of the better records I've heard all year. Do yourself a favour, pick this up and play it real fucking loud.

Social Circkle - City Shock

Social Circkle - City Shock

Totally rad hardcore from some dudes who are so punk they don't even give a fuck about spelling. These dudes totally remind me of Cloak/Dagger and that is never a bad thing. Fast punk-influenced hardcore from these Boston dudes. This was released in 09 and I have no idea if this band is even still active, regardless, City Shock is totally killer.

Algernon Cadwallader - Parrot Flies

Algernon Cadwallader - Parrot Flies

This is the second album from these PA dudes and it is a total monster. Eleven of the best tracks you'll probably hear all year. Algernon play intense and mathy indie rock that any fan of Cap'n Jazz, By Surprise and Monument will totally dig. I thought their debut was the shit but Parrot Flies is just a total banger and so much better. I've listened to this all night on repeat and I can't get over how totally rad it is. This has already been posted on every blog on earth so if you haven't grabbed it do so because this album will totally own your life. I'll be blasting this shit out my car window all summer long. Jam.

Dear Tonight - We're Not Men

Dear Tonight - We're Not Men

Dear Tonight were a punk/hardcore band from NY who existed from 2001-08. They sounded a lot like Drive Like Jehu, Angel Hair and Ink And Dagger. Lead singer Ryan Duffy used to write for Vice magazine back then as well and was one rad dude (just check out his segment for vbs.tv on donkey fucking) he was most recently seen on the MTV show the Vice Guide To Everything. This band never really toured behind this, as they called it quits immediately after it's release, which is too bad because I think they could have gone far behind it. If you like End Of A Year and Brainworms you will totally dig this album.

Mister Dream - Trash Hit

Mr. Dream - Trash Hit

These dudes are Harvard grads who moved to Brooklyn and started a punk band. Trash Hits sound like The Pixies, Jesus Lizard and early Nirvana mixed with modern bands like Male Bonding, Wavves and No Age. Trash Hits is jagged, fuzzy and catchy punk rock that you need to be listening to right now. You'd be doing yourself a huge disservice if you slept on this album. This is your new favourite band.

Forming

Forming - S/T

I don't know fuck all about this band except that they're young and they play totally rad throwback 90's punk rock. If you dig Samiam, Jawbreaker and Seaweed you're gonna love what these dudes are doing.

Monument - Goes Canoeing

Monument - Goes Canoeing

Debut full-length from this Washington D.C. group. Great 90's emo influenced punk rock. Goes Canoeing was just released this month on the Tiny Engines record label and if you dig their label mates Everyone Everywhere, Look Mexico and Castevet then you'll dig Monument. Take the spastic energy of Brainworms and the pop hooks of The Get Up Kids and you've just nailed their sound. I've been waiting to hear a full length from these dudes since I heard their 3 song 7" (which has been in constant rotation around my spot for over a year). In fact here is that seven inch, and their equally as rad demo:

Monument - 3 song 7"

Monument - Monujamz demo

V/A - Casual Victim Pile: Austin 2010

V/A - Casual Victim Pile: Austin 2010

This album was released by Matador Records at the start of 2010 and it compiles the best and brightest new bands from Austin, TX (with a few ringers from Denton, TX). This was assembled by Matador co-founder Gerard Cosloy who moved to the city a couple years ago and fell in love with the local scene (he's since signed Harlem to Matador). Great songs from Woven Bones, Wild America, Harlem and The Young. "Casual Victim Pile" is an anagram for "live music capital", which is what Austin is. So if you thought Texas was all honky-tonk and Stevie Ray Vaughn worship give this a spin and see how fucking punk the city is.

The Young - Voyagers Of Legend

The Young - Voyagers Of Legend

The Young are a four-piece rock band out of Austin, TX and this is their debut LP. Released on Mexican Summer Records (who are really knocking them out of the park) this fall, Voyagers Of Legend is dark and catchy rock and roll that sounds like GBV, Superchunk and Hot Snakes mixed together. I haven't read too much about these guys online, which is a shame because this album is fucking killer. Voyagers Of Legend is limited to 1000 copies (like most Mexican Summer LP's) so grab it now before it goes out of print.

Surf City - Kudos

Surf City - Kudos

Surf City are a band out of New Zealand who took all the best parts of Spaceman 3, Pavement and The Zombies and created one of the best debut albums of the year. Kudos has great harmonies, guitar parts that are both droning and spacey, and heaps of primal rock energy. If you've dug the recent output of Surfer Blood, Crocodiles, No Age and Jaill then you'll flip your shit over this. The band used to be known as Kill Surf City (after the Jesus And Mary Chain tune) but changed their name to avoid confusion with a shitty band from England with the same name.

Girl Talk - All Day

Girl Talk - All Day

Whenever my family would go on trips/long car rides my Dad would always blast music, mostly Creedence and Phil Collins, but for one fleeting moment during the summer of 1989 all he played was his Jive Bunny cassette. Jive Bunny was two DJs who took swing, jazz and early rock, spliced them together into a cohesive song and held it all together with synthesized beats. When I hear Girl Talk all I can think of is Jive Bunny, It is Jive Bunny for hipsters. That being said I can't get enough of the man's work. It is so much fun to listen to that you'd have to be a real doucher to not like this. All Day is instant party starter and you'll be knee deep in gash if you bump this shit during your next soiree. REAL TALK.

Refused - New Noise Remix

Refused & Steve Aoki & Bloody Beetroots - New Noise

International Party Starters Steve Aoki and Bloody Beetroots re-imagine New Noise as a barn burning dance epic instead of a barn burning hardcore epic. It is what it is, the song is good enough that it can't really be fucked with negatively, and these two mixes are pretty neat. I assume a lot of hardcore kids get down with this shit, well at least the ones who discovered drugs, fun and girls. CAN I SCREAM.

Abe Vigoda

Abe Vigoda - Skeleton

Abe Vigoda - Reviver EP

Abe Vigoda - Crush

Abe Vigoda were born out of the noisy punk scene of L.A.'s The Smell (where Health, No Age, Mika Miko got their start) and played tropical/world infused punk music. But in the two years since Skeleton was released the band has evolved into so much more. By adding dark synths and Ian Curtis influenced vocals to their noisy punk sound they have created one of 2010's best albums in Crush. Everything is upped on Crush, the melodies, the songwriting and especially the execution. If you like No Age, Joy Division, Cold Cave and The Cure then you're going to love Abe Vigoda's new direction.