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

CANDY HEARTS

 

We started this blog a little over three months ago, and a little over three months ago I decided not to write about the Candy Hearts. I figured that they were already pretty popular and that many of my readers would already have and love their songs. I didn’t want to seem like a bore! BUT I do love the Candy Hearts so when they came to town last week I went to see them. They played in a tiny dive bar for a crowd of about 10. I couldn’t believe it! Where were you guys!? I’m just gonna assume that Candy Hearts aren’t as popular as I thought and that people just don’t know how great they are. You can download their first album for free from IYMI. This is how I first heard Ripped Up Jeans and Silly Dreams. I listened to it as background music for a while in the vein of Lemuria or Cheeky– pop punk that’s fun, but doesn’t bowl me over lyrically. One day I put on Candy Hearts at the library where I basically couldn’t ignore it and I realized it was beyond incredible. I started each song over again as it ended and must have listened to the whole album two or three times that night. I was thinking of going through the track list and  listing my favorite lines from each song, but I don’t want to ruin them for you. They have written some of the poppiest, punkiest pop punk I’ve ever heard and it’s perfect for sing-a-longs. Mariel Loveland, of Ramsey, NJ, is a total genius. I seriously love every song on Ripped Up Jeans so plz download it! Their second album, Everything’s Amazing & Nobody’s Happy, came out in 2011. I haven’t listened to it as much as their first, but I know some people around Sharp Corners think it’s even better! PLUS there will be a new EP out on November 6th. You can listen to an early released song or pre-order the record HERE! And check out tour dates HERE!

Watch Mariel cover Jawbreaker’s Bad Scene:

The Two Funerals

The Troubling Kids drifted off to Connecticut this past Sunday to see The Two Funerals. They are an incredible DIY punk band that was once all-girls but has of late been infiltrated by their new bassist, Kylewilliam*. I am about to gush about this band, so in the interest of full disclosure, I went to high school with their singer and ex-bassist.
The Two Funerals are possibly my favourite band to see live. The energy on display at every single show I’ve seen (which has to be pushing double digits at this point) is amazing. Even at shows where their music doesn’t quite fit in, with crowds who don’t know them, they bring the fire every time. In the past couple years, their shows have been mostly songs from their more elaborate, highly-composed EPs “Tell Yr Story” and “Boy’s Club,” which aren’t quite typical punk. They tend towards substantial instrumental pieces broken down by intense sections of punk energy. They always sneak in a few songs, though, from their absolutely essential first LP, …Invade Poland.

By the way, if you don’t have …Invade Poland yet, get it. Now. It’s a free download here. If you find a better girl punk album, jesus christ, let me know.
They’re playing shows erratically. If they’re coming somewhere near you, do yourself a favour and go see them. Check out the tour dates here.

*Bonus track: Kylewilliam and Katie Crutchfield recorded an excellent minimal cover of the Two Funerals track “Grey Skies,” which you can download!

More Pop Punk- Hold Tight!

WHOA the troubling kids have been slacking, huh? Sorry guys, things have been busy. Record Hospital (10pm-5am weekdays on whrb.org) has a new DJ schedule and it’s so boss. We’ve been able to do little but listen to it and sleep. So glad school’s back is session so I can hear my tunes. I’ve heard a little bit of Hold Tight! on there and in case you missed it I thought I’d post ’em. They hail from Richmond, Va and their album, Blizzard of ’96, was released over the summer on Animal Style Records. The album has killer choruses for sing-a-longs and heartbreaks. Listen especially to Alex Wilhelm; he really knows his way around the drums. It’s fast (14 songs in under 28 minutes) and honest (I know what it’s like to lose years and still have nothing to show for it.) AND they’re on tour!! If you can, see them with Choke Up!

Hop Along- Get Disowned & Fall Tour

First of all: shit, this poster is so cool. Like, who did this? ily

Second of all: shit, this album is so good! Listen to it, buy it, love it. When did Philly become so cool? Are we all going to have to move there? If so I’m going to at least wait until after this tour ’cause I wouldn’t want to miss the Boston show, ya know?

A friend played me this band’s 10″, Wretches (Salinas Records, 2009), years ago and I loved it. Get Disowned was released in May and came as a complete surprise to me! Where have you guys been!? You’re back and so much better than ever!! This is for sure one of the best records I’ve heard this year. It’s fuzzy indie rock basically. Sort of reminds me of Football, Etc’s first EP. The vocals by Frances Quinlan really make the album. See No Good Al Joad for crazy vocals and Laments for incredible hooks.

TOUR DATES:

Nocturne Released Today!

It’s finally August 28th and Wild Nothing’s new album is officially released on Captured Tracks!! Personally I’ve been listening to the album for weeks because Tatum allowed it to be streamed early on a few webpages. I don’t think album outshines Gemini or Golden Haze, but I’m still really into it. It stays true to the Wild Nothing sound, even if it lacks some of the earlier relatability and melancholy. Between Golden Haze and Nocturne Tatum moved from Blacksburg, VA to Brooklyn, NY so his new work is a little less heartfelt and a little overdone production-wise. I had prepared myself for much worse though after Cloud Nothings broke my heart by never releasing any shoegaze post Turning On. The point is: it’s a red letter day! Listen to Wild Nothing!

Right now!

Wild Nothing Tour also starts today!

8/28/2012 – Dallas, TX – Club Dada
8/29/2012 – Austin, TX – Red 7
8/31/2012 – Tucson, AZ – Club Congress
9/2/2012 – Los Angeles, CA – FYF Fest

COLLEEN GREEN

Fall tour announced! And she’s covering all the bases so no excuses. Her first full album, Milo Goes to Compton (a spin on the Descendents’ Milo Goes to College) was released last February by Art Fag Recordings and includes covers of I Will Follow Him originally by Little Peggy March in 1963, the Descendents’ Good Good Things (one of my old favorites) and the Ramones’ I Wanna Be Sedated (sorta, it’s called I Wanna Be Degraded and it’s fuzzy and really only a half cover.) The rest of the songs are lo-fi garage pop about her weed and her crushes. The vocals are sweet and distant and the beats are a blast. Mostly she’s just so coool. She’s the indie grrrl of yr dreams if there ever was one. She even draws comics!!! <3

I can’t wait to see her live and hear tracks from Milo, wacky covers, and hopefully some EP B-sides (Y Do You Call Me especially!)

8/24 – San Diego, CA @ Tower Bar
8/25 – Tucson, AZ @ Plush
8/26 – Las Cruces, NM @ The Trainyard
8/27 – Lubbock, TX @ Glassy Alley
8/28 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk (inside)