this is another band with Ethan. geez. he’s in half the bands on this blog now. anyway, this is some truly righteous emo (or ethancore, as it now known). it’s kind of a more screamo version of the previous post on this blog. I’m not going to pretend that this, or 99% of other emo, in any way redefines music as we know it. it doesn’t bloody need to though. it just needs honesty, passion and sincerity. Bear McGruff has that. and a bad name to top it off. check it out.
archive for the ‘screamo’ category
Bear McGruff – Demo Tape
Saturday, April 21st, 2012Henry Bemis is a Superhero – Henry Bemis is a Superhero
Saturday, March 31st, 2012these write-ups to the Henry Bemis is a Superhero albums are just redundant. you all know what you are in for. this is his last album thus far. let’s hope for more, because his is also his best album.
Henry Bemis is a Superhero – Going for the Gold
Thursday, March 29th, 2012I found a little spare time. I should probably spend it on something else than this, but that’s punk needs updates. people are even nagging me! thanks guys. it means a lot. anyway here’s more Henry Bemis is a Superhero. I still realise that this is old, but he’s still a superhero. well… actually he really isn’t. he’s still a boy with girl problems. I guess it’s pathetic, but we’re all pathetic sometimes, and we all like the fact that we’re not alone in that. so listening to a boy and a guitar that just sings his heart out is very refreshing.
Henry Bemis is a Superhero – The Tori Tape
Thursday, February 16th, 2012more of the same, really. just more songs in the exact same style. you either like it or you don’t. it’s tragic and it’s captivating. this has less screaming than the previous posts. but it’s not really screamo anyway and screamo is a joke genre anyway. this music is not a joke though. but Ethan is a joker. all the sad boys are jokers. it hides their insecurities.
Henry Bemis is a Superhero – I Am White Noise
Thursday, February 9th, 2012this is pretty old by now, but I’m pretty old and slow. some of you might remember that I posted Henry Bemis is a Superhero a long time ago. go download those albums if you haven’t already. HBiaS is Ethan, who’s also a bunch of other people. he’s a cool kid. this is some sort of country with some acoustic screamo. I know, I know… just listen already. it’s honest and simple. as the title gives away, this sounds a bit like Daniel Johnston; which is OK if you like Daniel Johnston and not OK if you dislike Daniel Johnston. I like Daniel Johnston, and I like HBiaS.
Quiritatio – Yana
Monday, July 25th, 2011earlier this month I was lucky enough to be at Quiritatio’s reunion. it was a glorious affair! a simply put fantastic gig. at which I was also able to obtain one of the represses of the Yana 7″. if you don’t know about this, it’s an old release, from 2006, long since sold out, and later repressed. so to coincide with their reunion, here’s an MP3 copy of Yana! if you know Quiritatio, you know this is amazing. if you don’t know Quiritatio, *get* to know them right here and now. the lyrics tell the story of Yana, and the music tells the story of Yana and Quiritatio both.
Dominic – Dominic
Sunday, June 26th, 2011Norwegian screamo champions Dominic are back! and they’re marching forth in their easily recognisable style. anthem-y compositions carried by melodic guitars, and frantic cymbals-reliant drumming with a loud snare, with shouted and screamed vocals that somehow manages to come off as both passionate and catchy (as opposed to just contrived and annoying). Dominic have it all figured out. this is a two song 7″, and so there isn’t a whole lot more to write for a Dominic superfan like me. they do what they’re supposed to do – blow me the fuck away with epic instrumental parts that kamikaze into shouting and desperation clothed by a heavy fucking mess. don’t get me wrong though, it’s not *that* heavy or messy. in fact, I’ve seen a lot of reviewers reacting negatively to Dominic being too “soft” to be this or that [fairly average but for some reason insanely popular on the Internet] band. well, I doubt Dominic tries being either of those bands. nor do I think Dominic are trying to be tough guy hardcore and have crush chugga-chugga breakdowns. this is purposefully melodic and pretty music. Dominic play bleak and misanthropic, but gorgeous music. check this out as soon as you can! buy it from http://apocaplexy.blogspot.com/2011/05/preorder-dominic-st-7-lentic-waters-st.html if you can.
Beau Navire – Life Moves
Tuesday, May 24th, 2011Beau Navire’s curse is that they’ll always be compared to their members ex-bands. and that’s quite simply because Beau Navire often sounds like the beautiful dwelling of iwrotehaikusaboutcannibalisminyouryearbook crescendoing into Loma Prieta. if that description is appealing to you, you’ll love Beau Navire. if it sounds like shit, you’ll hate Beau Navire. obviously and thankfully there’s more to Beau Navire than that, but that’s definitely an okay way to describe the fundamental sound here. but like haikus, Beau Navire has a distinct atmosphere that separates them from everyone else. and even though the core sound is so easily described, each individual track has its own unique identity. Beau Navire do something completely different but equally amazing on each and every song. so despite that the core sound is in all fairness simple enough, let me assure you that the song structures are not. each song feels like a magical journey of emotion and passion, each journey different than the previous. I can’t pick out “the best songs”, because this whole album is a journey in itself. everything belongs together. everything needs to be precisely like this. everything is perfect.
Oriana Raeo – Oriana Raeo
Saturday, March 12th, 2011this is sensitive and wimpy screamo. and while all screamo is inherently sensitive and wimpy, this is especially sensitive and wimpy. the guitar hooks are sort of like a soft and pathetic Kaospilot. sometimes, when at their softest, the guitars are almost like City of Caterpillar, focused and deliberate. on top of this are hoarse heart- and voice-breaking screams that sound like Age Sixteen meets The Spirit of Versailles. the rhythm section of the band, the drums and bass, are absolutely central to creating the moods swings that really makes Oriana Raeo an extremely interesting listen. at times it’s so bleak and empty that I can’t not pull up a comparison to Quiritatio. especially on the bleakest of songs, “Staring Into Nothing”, the album’s longest track (being over four minutes). the whole album is barely over ten minutes long, but those ten minutes are utterly miserable and tear-y. it’s perhaps best described simply as “Staring Into Nothing”. this is exactly what listening to Oriana Raeo feels like.
Panthalassa – 2011 Demo
Saturday, February 26th, 2011Panthalassa started out in 2010 in Seattle, Washington. in December they recorded this demo here. and guess what – it’s great! I always like getting to hear new bands. double so when the band is so good. Panthalassa are noisy and chaotic like Phasma Phasmatis, poetic and creative like Lizards Have Personalities and FUNKY like Daniel Striped Tiger. now there’s a mix I’d happily listen to again! I hope to hear more from Panthalassa than this seven minute demo. check this out!