I was lucky enough to catch Russian Circles at Dudefest a few years back in Indiana dead stoned and was blown away. Beauty in the form of riffs not lyrics is hard to come by in a way that actually makes you feel whatever you want depending on your mood. Sad, happy, crushed, relieved, whatever emotion you may have on your shoulders these are tunes you can relate to. Enjoy.
A message to you people who may take your friends for granted here in PA, and the whole world i guess this applies to. Be sure to let the people who you care about, and whose company you enjoy know that they are rad every once in a while. Everyone deserves those friends that make your day regardless of how you may be feeling just brighten up the day with their laughter and smiles. Friendship is a wonderful thing. There are people in my life who I love with all my heart, people who make you look forward to each day instead of dreading the rising of the sun. Growing up most of my friends were dudes, so having friends of the opposite sex was very confusing at first for me. Even more confusing when you didn't have a girlfriend or even went on a date until your nineteenth name day. This has cost me a few lady friends very close to me, but I have been granted a second chance to make things right with one person I really cared for and still do care for. And cannot wait to hang out again, its been too long! I have done so many shitty things in my life that over the past few days all that I can think of is what to do to make this one person in my life smile and that alone makes all of the lonely days and nights I have had worth it for me. Friendship maybe a revolving door for some, but there are those people in your life who you never want to leave. These are the people who aren't just in for a short run, these are the people whom you tell your grandchildren about because they just make everything more interesting and amazing. So it looks like Im going to see Torche on Monday November 7th and keep my friend and myself smiling. Hopefully we run into the slob in the Skittles costume again!
Good Friends = Good Times Every Time
Here is all of the information for this upcoming Torche show for anyone else interested.
Torche
Torche, our favorite sludge pop geniuses, who by our reckoning should be HUGE. They may be heavy and loud and distorted, and feature members of Shitstorm and Floor and Dove, but the music they make as Torche is something else entirely. The guitars massive chugging and crunchy, the drums pounding and brutal, the bass thick and buzzy, the vocals a totally unique wail / croon, they sound a bit like the Foo Fighters, if the Foo Fighters were heavier and catchier and more punk rock.
Big guitars, a killer hook of a chorus, amazing harmonies, kick ass drumming, even some shredding leads, this band just keeps getting better and better, but also tighter and more polished, without ever sounding wussier or like sellouts.
Big guitars, a killer hook of a chorus, amazing harmonies, kick ass drumming, even some shredding leads, this band just keeps getting better and better, but also tighter and more polished, without ever sounding wussier or like sellouts.
Part Chimp
- London's loud, smart-assed Part Chimp have spent two studio albums and one compilation finding nuance in dirty, clobbering rock. In the four years since their last LP, they've offered the "New Cross" single, one of their sleekest and most bruising tracks, while it's B-sides showed the band at their most experimental (all of which ended up on 2007's Cup compilation). Now they're using their third LP to slow down, stretch out, and indulge their metal side a little more
Restorations
There seems to be a common theme developing within recent reviews for Restorations‘ Strange Behavior – the terrific four-song EP released last year by Paper + Plastick – which is that this Philly outfit plays music for “grown-up punks.” I’m not sure if that’s necessarily true as the band’s background, touring history and all-around response to its relatively short discography collectively point to the fact that its appeal spans generations of music fans. From hardcore, post-punk, shoegaze, americana, roots rock and even stoner metal, the overwhelming consensus that Restorations’ singular sound is difficult to pin down (though it’s fun to try) and originates from an undeniably earnest place – something that is universally easy to get on board with.
So from what I can tell, “grown-up punks” is merely a term used to describe what the band is not. It’s not music made solely for adults; on the other hand, you’re not going to find much in the way of buzz-saw riffs, throat-shredding screams or breakneck drumming. And if you’re searching for a record where playing loud and fast trumps playing well, I’d go elsewhere. Of course, that doesn’t mean that Restorations’ brilliant Self-Titled debut full-length isn’t exploding with passion and electricity (it is) and we’re certainly not inferring that these eight amazing songs won’t rip through your skull before knocking the wind out of you with repeated sonic gut punches (they do). What we are emphatically stating is that if you’ve been searching for a thoughtful, nuanced take on punk and indie rock – and all the sub-genres they entail – Restorations might just be your new favorite band.
Need proof? Listen no further than the stunning opener “Nonlocality,” with its atmospheric, spine-tingling intro, gorgeous harmonies and crushing wall of sound which closes out a track that feels nothing short of epic. For the album’s 33 + minute duration, Restorations follows a similar trajectory, creating songs that are intricately layered, tension-building monsters which lean heavily on a rhythm section that could probably knock a hole in the side of a Sherman tank. Still, that never takes away from the band’s ability to craft warm, stirring melodies, enduring hooks and dense, dynamic song structures. Cascading guitars, pulsing waves of reverb and spacey flourishes are held together by Jon Loudon’s raspy-yet-tuneful growl. His delivery is one that transmits confidence, wisdom and a bit of wear and tear – perhaps from years fronting post-hardcore heroes Jena Berlin – but he also sings with a soulful, youthful exuberance that feels like he genuinely loves the process of creating music.
Perhaps that is Restorations’ strength as a cohesive unit – that even though this Self-Titled record is a serious work of art with many subtle complexities, achingly intense moments of restraint and driving need to find a unique voice, it also resonates as if it were an absolute joy to write and perform. Even the pristine recording and production from Algernon Cadwallader’s Joe Reinhart allows the band to maintain a raw, loose aesthetic and foundation-shaking low end that owes a much to the members’ punk and hardcore roots.
If we were to speak in metaphors, Restorations is like a menacing storm on the horizon, steadily rumbling across dusty plains and jagged mountains and enveloping everything in its path. Its impending arrival is a nail-biting experience and the anticipation is nearly as dramatic as the actual event, which in itself is a moving, white-knuckled affair. Pouring down dense sheets of cathartic sound, Restorations washes away the throngs of stale, unimaginative bands that pollute the once-inspired reservoirs of independent music and breathes new air into tired lungs.
Perhaps that’s why this Self-Titled effort speaks so loudly to us “over-the-hill” punk rockers. It’s not that Restorations is a band comprised of jaded old punks; it’s that some of us have been around long enough to hear (what feels like) everything music has to offer. Every once in a while we need a group to cleanse our palates and get us stoked on the scene again. For these ears – and I’m sure many of yours – Restorations is that band, and the term “grown-up punk” is not about leaving behind the fire of our youth but rather the exciting possibilities and new frontiers that years of experience can underline.
So from what I can tell, “grown-up punks” is merely a term used to describe what the band is not. It’s not music made solely for adults; on the other hand, you’re not going to find much in the way of buzz-saw riffs, throat-shredding screams or breakneck drumming. And if you’re searching for a record where playing loud and fast trumps playing well, I’d go elsewhere. Of course, that doesn’t mean that Restorations’ brilliant Self-Titled debut full-length isn’t exploding with passion and electricity (it is) and we’re certainly not inferring that these eight amazing songs won’t rip through your skull before knocking the wind out of you with repeated sonic gut punches (they do). What we are emphatically stating is that if you’ve been searching for a thoughtful, nuanced take on punk and indie rock – and all the sub-genres they entail – Restorations might just be your new favorite band.
Need proof? Listen no further than the stunning opener “Nonlocality,” with its atmospheric, spine-tingling intro, gorgeous harmonies and crushing wall of sound which closes out a track that feels nothing short of epic. For the album’s 33 + minute duration, Restorations follows a similar trajectory, creating songs that are intricately layered, tension-building monsters which lean heavily on a rhythm section that could probably knock a hole in the side of a Sherman tank. Still, that never takes away from the band’s ability to craft warm, stirring melodies, enduring hooks and dense, dynamic song structures. Cascading guitars, pulsing waves of reverb and spacey flourishes are held together by Jon Loudon’s raspy-yet-tuneful growl. His delivery is one that transmits confidence, wisdom and a bit of wear and tear – perhaps from years fronting post-hardcore heroes Jena Berlin – but he also sings with a soulful, youthful exuberance that feels like he genuinely loves the process of creating music.
Perhaps that is Restorations’ strength as a cohesive unit – that even though this Self-Titled record is a serious work of art with many subtle complexities, achingly intense moments of restraint and driving need to find a unique voice, it also resonates as if it were an absolute joy to write and perform. Even the pristine recording and production from Algernon Cadwallader’s Joe Reinhart allows the band to maintain a raw, loose aesthetic and foundation-shaking low end that owes a much to the members’ punk and hardcore roots.
If we were to speak in metaphors, Restorations is like a menacing storm on the horizon, steadily rumbling across dusty plains and jagged mountains and enveloping everything in its path. Its impending arrival is a nail-biting experience and the anticipation is nearly as dramatic as the actual event, which in itself is a moving, white-knuckled affair. Pouring down dense sheets of cathartic sound, Restorations washes away the throngs of stale, unimaginative bands that pollute the once-inspired reservoirs of independent music and breathes new air into tired lungs.
Perhaps that’s why this Self-Titled effort speaks so loudly to us “over-the-hill” punk rockers. It’s not that Restorations is a band comprised of jaded old punks; it’s that some of us have been around long enough to hear (what feels like) everything music has to offer. Every once in a while we need a group to cleanse our palates and get us stoked on the scene again. For these ears – and I’m sure many of yours – Restorations is that band, and the term “grown-up punk” is not about leaving behind the fire of our youth but rather the exciting possibilities and new frontiers that years of experience can underline.
Venue Information:
Johnny Brendas
Philadelphia, PA
1201 N. Frankford Ave
http://www.johnnybrendas.com/
Johnny Brendas
Philadelphia, PA
1201 N. Frankford Ave
http://www.johnnybrendas.com/
THIS SHOW IS 21+!
Here are some rainy day tunes for you to wash down that new Russian Circles release with. Austin Texas I will be in you soon! Im buying the plane ticket next week, stoked on that shit!
On a lighter note, all I have to say is Wolf Cola.
This season of Its Always Sunny In Philadelphia has been amazing thus far.
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