Catnaps

I’ve recently become obsessed with yet another philly band. This one’s called Catnaps and they released a new EP in January. It’s a lot different from their more pop punk roots. They’ve taken a turn for the dream pop. Cherry Lips is as absolute masterpiece (with an absolutely silly video). If you’re more into straight pop punk listen to their 2012 EP Boys Drool. More into twee? True their first album, Why Do You Whisper.  Shuteye is my favorite thing they’ve released so far, but to each his own.

They’re on a short tour right now and playing with a few of my favorite bands like Parasol and Omar. Go if you can!

4/5 @ fort warner (MA) w/ parasol, landline, boyfoot bear
4/6 @ the only place that ever felt like home (CT) w/ SHRINNIRS, POSTURE AND THE GRIZZLY, NIKOLAUS, SLEEK FOR THE LONG FLIGHT
4/7 @ tba (NYC)
4/20 @ the fire (PA) w/ bleached, hunters, omar

For my Valentines Punks

Happy Valentine’s Day! It’s time for a new Sharp Corners mixtape! If you haven’t gotten anything for your crush yet just burn a copy of this and put it in their mailbox. All anyone in their right mind wants for Valentines day is a mix CD anyways. You have my permission to pretend  you made this. All’s fair in love and war. What’s a little white lie on the most romantic day of the year?!?! … You might wanna remove the song “I Hate You”, but it is amazing so… yr call.

Download Sharp Corners Volume 3!

500 Channels – Choking Victim
Favreau – Kudrow
IV – Shoppers
Fall – 1905
Dukes Up – Modest Mouse
Curling – Speedy Ortiz
Getting Old (i hate you) – Places To Hide
Jumping Jacks – Omar
Toby’s Song – Billy Raygun
Still – joyride!
Bone Valley Deposit – The Besties
Seeing Double – Madeline

Places to Hide- Getting Old EP

Places to hide from Charleston, SC/ Atlanta, GA are a (basically) female-fronted pop-punk band who have released one small EP which had one large impact on me. I’m crazy about it.  It’s got just enough of a folksy influence and heart. It’s six songs long, three of which you can hear on their bandcamp.  Word on the street is that they have a full length coming out pretty soon.

Favorite Christmas song this holiday season:

I just wanna watch how you’ll age and the way your clothes change.

Dogbreath

Dogbreath is a pop punk band from Phoenix, AZ.  Their first album, the acoustic Chookie, came out over the summer of 2011 and is almost twee. It’s incredibly cute and honest. It’s a little bit nerdy, but they’re not afraid to laugh and themselves.

Over the past year they’ve released one 7″ and a split cassette with Falsetto Boy.  Get Out was released last summer and is just as poppy as Chookie, but no longer exclusively acoustic.  It’s musically a step forward for the band probably, but I sorta miss the heart. The split Buzz Ballads is better than the 7″, it’s actually great.

You can hear all their songs here and decide for yrselves.

Luau/Sneeze East Coast Tour

Two great Boston-basded grungy pop bands of are heading out to tour the East Coast next month- Luau & Sneeze! Their music is super fast-paced, and both bands always put on fun, high-energy shows. If you live in one of these cities you shouldn’t miss this!

Check out their Facebook pages  to find out specific information for shows:

Luau  /  Sneeze

12.7 – PA / CT / Western MA
12.8 – Somewhere in NJ
12.9 – Philadelphia, PA
12.10 – Baltimore, MD
12.11 – Richmond, VA
12.12 – Louisville, KY
12.13 – Chicago, IL

Coping- NOPE

The Chicago emo group Coping decided to break up over the summer, but before making it official they recorded their second album, NOPE. It was released on their bandcamp in September and will be available on vinyl in December from Protagonist Records. If you’re a fan of midwest emo then you’ll love this album. Double Perfect and B are my favorites. I’m getting old and you’re getting loud.

Omar- I’m Not Mad I’m Just Mad That You’re Mad

Omar is a two-piece pop punk band from Philadelphia with male + female vocals. They have only released one recording and it happens to be an amazing 6-song EP. I’m Not Mad I’m Just Mad That You’re Mad was self-released on CDs and through their bandcamp. It came out almost three years ago and there’s been little word from the band since, though they did play a few shows in 2012. I’m a little mystified by how such a good band could disappear. If you know anything about new projects plz comment.

I often say pop punk is one of my favorite music genres, but when I say pop punk I mean music like this. Omar’s album is heartfelt, catchy, urgent, and hopeful. I’m going to beg you to listen to Jumping Jacks.

Tooth Soup and Plan-It-X

Chris Calvin and the Plan-It-X gang have been threatening to close down the label since May 2010. This past PIX fest was meant to be the last according to the original plan and Calvin recently posted:

Since the world is going to end in December, there will not be a fest in 2013. I’m sorry. 

A few weeks later he posted a list of everything coming out on the label over the course of the next year HERE. It includes an exciting assortment of comics, zines, and new albums from Ghost Mice, Emperor X, and other favorites. Though I’ve personally passed my major folk punk phase, I still owe a lot to Plan-It-X. I learned about them in High School and the pop & folk punk albums I ordered from them basically at random (for about $3 a piece) are the reason I started looking for new bands and labels to listen to.

Apart from all the news surrounding PIX, Chris Calvin also recently posted his new pop punk band Tooth Soup’s first album to bandcamp with an option of digital download for $0.66 or a physical copy with digital download (and a 40 page zine, embroidered patch, and stickers) for $11.11. It’s impossible to order anything from Plan-It-X without them sending tons of exciting extras like these. I can’t wait for my copy to come in the mail.

The album is really great by the way. Emily Rose is the lead vocalist and she’s wonderful. I’m not very into the first track, but don’t just listen to it and cast the rest off. Maybe just start with the second song, Another Year, instead. It’s more representative of the rest of the album. Basically Casting Off Curses is optimistic and angsty like Chris Calvin’s old work, but has more influence his fellow band members than his earlier releases ever did. Each member even gets his/her own song to star in. It’s really an interesting project.