Upcoming Shows 11/27/15-12/3/15

Here's another week of upcoming shows you should check out. These shows are in the Tri-state area. 

November 27

1. AMH- Cold World, War Hungry, Build & Destroy, Hard Stripes, Mauler.

2. Webster Hall- The Menzingers, Me Without You, Pianos Become The Teeth, Restorations. 

3. Starland Ballroom- The Wonder Years, Motion City Soundtrack, State Champs, You Blew It!.

4. Obriens- Samurai Pizza Cats, Dino Skatepark, The Scofflaws, Whole Sum, Felix, Incircles, Crisis Crayon.

5. DEKS American Restaurant & Tap Room- The Avoiders.

6. The Stanhope House- Murphy's Law, Huge, Fury Withion. Full Scale Riot, Gabe Zander.

7. The Grand Victory- Omega Men, The Breaking Sounds, Feejee Mermaids, Scum City, Rebuschaos.

8. The Court Tavern- Sworn Enemy, Brick By Brick, Hammer Fight, Carnauarice Breath, Time Spent, Hounds. 

November 28

1. The Studio at Webster Hall- Twitching Tongues, Harms Way, Homewrecker, Malice At The Palace.  

2. The Acheron- Defiance, Chem Tralls, Rotten UK.

3. Starland Ballrom- Circa Survive, RX Bandits, Citizen.

4. The Stone Pony- Machine Head. 

5. The Log Cabin- Cold World, War Hungry, Get Real, Blind Justice, Build and Destroy, Cease To Resit. 

6. Black Bear Bar- The Toxins.  

7. The Brighton Bar- East Bourne, Sweet Lucy, Dave Roccanoca of Wayland. 

8. The Court Tavern- Know Your Enemy, Lethal Affectiob, Barren, Tango Machina. 

9. Pulaski Club- PUS, The Abductors, Ugly, Thrust, Mouthbreather. 

10. Hollis Woods Community Church- Legend of You, Gone By Friday, The Spacepimps, The Cavalry is Us, My Kinda Fire, Makeshift, Megaweapon.

11. The Grand Victory- Ravagers, Gangway, The Sweet THings, Vandalizer, Cruiser. 

November 29 

1. The Acheron-Negative Approach, Night Birds, Child Bite, Outskirts.

2. Music Hall of Williamsburg- They Might Be Giants, Special Guest, Dial-A Song. 

3. The Grand Victory- Urban Waste, Assault & Battery, Revolt, Bastard Clan. 

November 30

1. Baby's All Right- Field Trip, Dream Crusher, Emily Yachu & The Shacks.

2. The Grand Victory- Big Band, Les Bicyclettes Blacnhes, Flesh, Telecommunists.

December 1

1. Shea Stadium- Elvis Depressdly, LVL UP, Yohuna.

2. Webster Hall- The Sword, Royal Thunder. 

3. Saint Vitus- Spector. 

December 2

1. The Grand Victory- Vic Ruggiero, Sammy JKay, JT Turrent. 

December 3

1. The Bowery Ballroom- Dinosaur JR. 

2. Saint Vitus- Agnostic Front, Antidote, Hammer and The Nails.

3. Music Hall of Williamsburg- The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die, Foxing, TTNG, Brightside.

4. Aviv- Mad Diesel, Death Vacation, Stringer, Toxicology, Lucid Terror, Informant. 

5. The Acheron- Tournmant, Pale Angels, Small Talk, Fortunate Ones, First Eiposure.

6. Baby's All Right- Superchunk, All Dogs.     

7. Alphaville- Gag, Narcoleptics, Pleasure Industry, JJ Doll, Barbed Wire. 

8. The Grand Victory- Bunny X, Winkie, Permanent Wave, Creation Myth. 

9. Hardcore Sweet Cupcakes- Everything Ever, All Riot, Grass Stains, TBA. 

    

Gin War, The Traditional, The Walking Tree, Only Sibling, Casanova, Table Talk, and Life After TV at AMH 11/19/15

            Last Thursday, Amityville Music Hall hosted another fun show that featured Gin War, The Traditional, The Walking Tree, Only Siblings, Casanova, Table Talk, and Life After TV. Gin War and The Traditional were wrapping up their last day of tour and most of the openers were from Long Island. This was somewhat of mix genre show because the every band sounded really different from each other, which helped out a lot.

            The opener of the night was Life After TV. This band is from Oyster Bay, Long Island. This band is a three piece and they were different. They were very experimental and they seemed really boring. They were the only band of the night that almost made me fall of sleep. Usually, when the first band puts me to sleep then I have nothing good to say. I did not find this band appealing at all and they were nothing special.

            Table Talk was up next. This was my third time seeing this four-piece band. This was probably my favorite time seeing them. Table Talk is from Long Island and they are an indie-punk band. Their sound is tight and everything was perfect. They have two singers- I’m not a big fan of the whiney vocalist, I’m more into the other lead singer. Overall, Table Talk has a great sound and this is my first time seeing them in a venue built for a concert space, so they really did a great job. Please, everyone who is reading this, don’t sleep on this band at all.

            Up next was Casanova, qvnew and upcoming Long Island band. This is my sixth time seeing Casanova. Casanova is a mix of Weezer, Turnover, and My Bloody Valentine. They used the sounds of MBV and Turnover and mix them up with lyrics that Weezer or Jawbreaker wish they could make.  Casanova was very good and they only played four songs but every song was great. From seeing their first show back in the summer till now they have improved a lot and they continue to play great. I have no bad comment to say about this band. They get better and better each time I see them.

            The next band was Only Siblings. Only Siblings is from Staten Island, New York. I’ve been waiting to see this band and they were really good. Only Siblings take a lot a lot of grunge influences and also the Youth era of the band Citizen.  Only Siblings had a really good sound and they sounded a lot different from a lot of the bands that come out of the NYC scene. They remind me of a Long Island band. I totally would see this band again.

            The Walking Tree was up next. This is another Long Island band that was really experiment but they had a cool sound. They really loved the whole psychedelic rock revival of the 2000’s and they mixed it up with some indie rock. I was not too into them but they could play well. This band really rocked the place and they had some fans jamming out. Towards the end of their set they started to cover Jane’s Addiction- “Mountain Song” which I loved and I was going off for. They started to go off into a jam and part of drums got into the crowd and people were on the drums. It was interesting but overall I enjoyed this band.

            Up next was one of the two touring bands, The Traditional. The Traditional is from Buffalo, New York. This band is kind of like an emo band, but they are very upbeat. I like their style but they're a little on the generic side for me. Besides that, they are great band and they had a great set. The Traditional had some crowd members singing which is really good for them. There was still a good amount of people there to watch them play. Overall they had a really good set.

            The final band of the night was Gin War. Gin War is like an emo/indie rock band from Long Beach Island, New Jersey. Before this show I checked out their material and really was not a fan of their material, but when they took the stage and started to play my opinion changed right off the bat. I love when bands sound better live and than recorded. Gin War played a really good set. I saw people up in front and singing along to their material. They did not play a long set, but it still a good set. The last song was the best because the other band they were touring with, The Traditional, took parts off the drum set while playing. It was great.

Gin War- 8/10

The Traditional- 8.5/10

The Walking Tree- 7/10

Only Sibling- 10/10

Casanova- 10/10

Table Talk- 9/10

Life After TV- 5/10

AMH- 9/10

Overall Concert- 8/10

REVIEW- Six-Fold God by The Crossed

Siberia, the cold Russian expanse in the east, not much comes out of this frozen land but when it does, it's usually very interesting. In this case, it's the band The Crossed with their full length record entitled Six Fold God (presumably a Doctor Who reference?) and I was wholeheartedly impressed by what I heard. Before we get into details however, this record is certainly for fans of A Night in Texas or Ion Dissonance, the latter especially.
 For starters, the record opens up with some incredible swept leads that give a super eerie feeling. This whole record is full of them honestly, but also some really crazy guitar work that has "core" elements such as in the fourth track with a pretty djenty breakdown but also is very experimental in its own right. The bass tone is really very solid and audible through the whole record which is nice. The drums absolutely slay, with some really complex fills and patterns and make for a really fulfilling listening experience.
 Vocally, this release is pretty good, though I can't personally understand the lyrics as they are in Russian. The vocalist changes his tone and technique up fluidly, and without much interruption in the tracks. Though I'm sure that based on the track titles, they have to do with themes of time and space and all that which are fairly thematic to this genre these days.
 Overall, this record was enjoyable, though I noticed a little repetitive at some point, but for the most part formulaic and well put together, leading me to give this release from The Crossed a very solid 7/10

Listen and buy here

Drop them a like on Facebook

Take This Bird and Shove It Fest

            This upcoming week, The Voltage Lounge is hosting a three day punk, Oi!, and hardcore fest. Take This Bird and Shove It Fest will be on November 25th and will end November 28th. The Voltage Lounge is in Philadelphia, but this festival is worth the travel.  This festival will not be taking place on the Thanksgiving, November 26th. This fest features some of the best old school band and some of the new bands. 

November 25 Day One

Regan Youth, Thorazine, Infant Mortality, The Heels, Stepping Razor, Legally Fucked, Shitty Friends, Kamikaze Skydrive

November 27 Day Two

Defiance (No Future, No Hope era lineup), Zex, The Ravagers, Who Killed Spikey Jacket?, Revolt, The Parasitix, Rotten UK, Combat Crisis, FTS, Posers, Dive In The Box                                       November 28 Day Three

The Unseen, Murphy’s Law, Blanks 77, Drug Shock, Bad Assets, Assault & Battery, Banged Up, Duffy’s Cut, Thunder and Glory, The Charley Few, Legion 76, The Droogettes

The Beautiful Ones, Regulate, Crash and Burn, Separated, and Brain Waves at AMH 11/14/15

           Last Saturday Amityville Music Hall hosted another fun Long Island hardcore show. The bill was: The Beautiful Ones, Regulate, Crash and Burn, Separated, and Brain Waves. The Beautiful Ones are currently on tour with Regulate and Bent Life. Bent Life had to drop the Long Island date of this tour due to van troubles. This was not a crowded show but there was a lot of people.

            The opening band of the night was Brain Waves. Brain Waves are a local Long Island band and this was their first show. The band played only three songs and they featured two young ladies which was cool. Since this was their first show, they have a lot of work to so. The band sounded really messy and the guitar's tuning sounded really off. The guitar was tuned wrong and I felt the drums were off time. It was a very sloppy performance. It’s only the first show so I expect to see a better performance if I see them another time.

            Separated was up next. This was my fourth time seeing this local heavy hardcore band and probably the best time I’ve ever seen them. They got a good crowd reaction and people brought the mosh game for this set. This set was probably the most violent set I've ever seen them play. From seeing them a year ago and even back in July the band sounded really tight. I totally recommend everyone who reads this to listen to this band and support this band. They will be playing Amityville Music Hall again on December 5th with Laid 2 Rest, Vatican, and Jesus Piece.

              Crash and Burn was up next. This is a New Jersey hardcore band. Before this show I listened to thei demo and I thought they were okay but once they started to play I loved every second of their set. They got a little bit of reaction but I really like the style of music. Their sound is very two-step orientated and they have great breakdowns.  Overall this performance changed my mind about them, I just wish more people were into them.

            Regulate was up next and this was my third time seeing this Long Island band. The last time I saw them was at Back To School Jam which they were not even suppose to play, but got added last minute and basically had one of the best sets of the entire day. Regulate played and the crowd was going off the entire time. The pit started getting insane before they even began their set. Once Regulate started to play songs it got me even crazier. I hurt my hand while moshing during this set, and I don’t know if I hit someone or hit the wall, but it was worth it.  Regulate is probably the one of the best upcoming Long Island bands right now. Regulate will be playing Amityville Music Hall with Foundation on December and Burn in NYC December 20th.

            The final band of the night was The Beautiful Ones. By the time this band got on there was no one even there for them. It seemed like only ten people were watching them. I really think it sucks for them, because these guys were touring and no one really stayed for them. The Beautiful Ones are from Mesa, Arizona and this was my second time seeing them. Last time I saw them was the last time Rotting Out played New York. This time I felt they were a lot heavier and I feel they changed their sound. The Beautiful Ones really did nothing for me and I really wasn’t into them.  

The Beautiful Ones- 6/10

Regulate- 10/10

Crash and Burn- 8.5/10

Separated- 9/10

Brain Waves- 5/10

AMH- 9/10

Overall Concert- 8.75/10

Upcoming Shows 11/20/15-11/26/15

Here's another week of shows we would like you to check out. Please note that these shows are in the Tri-State area.
November 20
1. Saint Vitus- Infest, Citizen Arrest
2. The Grand Victory- Joe Jackson Talcum of The Dead Milkmen, Cutters, Gozer
3. The Capitol Theatre- 10,000 Maniacs
4. Gamecharger World- H2O, Angel Dust, GIVE, Crash and Burn, Hangman.
5. The Acheron- Blessed Thistle, Sickness, Oneirosen, Long Distance Poison
6. Playstation Theater- King Diamond, Exdous
7. Shea Stadium- Haybaby, Shark Muffin, Dances, Melt.
8. The Court Tavern- The Zamborys, Nervous Triggers, RP, Sweet Lucy, Kid Nichols.
9. Boon Tunes- Manalive, Choke, Before The End, Aguirre, Womb of Nations.
10. House Show- Early Morning Adventure, Teenage Halloween, Prince Daddy & The Hyena, Sad Lips, Loser Year.
11. The Fifth Estate- Danse dE Sade, PUNT, The Amphibious Man, Brother K.
12. Santos Party House- Five Iron Frenzy, The Toasters, Survay Says!
November 21
1.  The Acheron- Infest, Boston Strangler, NYC Head Hunter, Violent Bullshit
2. Warren American Legion- Facility, Mouth Breather, Death Vacation, Ides, Sunrot, claw, Kiizka, Chondria, Skelparsis, Extinction Machine, The Brood, Savage, Blind God, Blank Spell
3. Sinclair's Pub- Time and Distance, Rosedale, Montalk, Acid Boy, Virgil Antics
4. Alfie's Pub- Enziguri, Cry Havoc!, World War IX, Gangway, Kyle Trocellah, Zack Moyle
5. Holliswood Community Church- The Phoenix Within, Mike Vianco, Lost & Adrift, Louis Baerga, Blue House, Salvatore Santiago
6. Blackthorn 51- All Out War, Apparition, Spectral Voices, Decimate The Living, The Fallen Prodigy, Robots and Monsters, Out of Odyssey, Red 100, Draw The Line
7. The Barber Shop- Arrowhead, Forever Closing Sleep, Commonwealth, Ornaments, Deathbeds.
8. Rough Trade NYC- Dogs on Acid
9. Saint Vitus- Skinless, Abnormality, Hypoxia
10. Gamecharger World- Candy Hearts, TBA
11. Shea Stadium- Ancient Sky, Farewell Worthless, Smokey Deroeck (Little Bold)
12. The Grand Victory- @Damsel, Ay Balazo, Dynamite Daniel, Dust Angel, Carlos The Chords
13. Obriens- Life After TV, Freya Wilcox & The Howl, Wanderer's Soul, Before The Origin, Crowd The Airwaves.
14. The Meatlocker- The Bombshell Renegades, No Such Animals, Anti Citizen, The One 25
15. Playstation Theater- King Diamond, Exodus.
16. BOMA- Teenage Halloween, The Great Depression, OHBREE, Punt, Coolshark.
The Grand Victory- Lyres, Fred Thomas Band, Binky Griptite.
November 22  
1. Santos Party House- H2O, GIVE, Angel Dust
2. AMH- Candy Hearts, Amboy, Megaweapon, Girl Nowhere
3. Starland Ballroom- All Time Low
4. Marlin Room at Webster Hall- Frankie Cosmos
5. Baby's All Right- The Flamin Groovies- Nude Beach, Miriam.
November 23
1. AMH- Twitching Tongues, Harms Way, Homewrecker, Malice At The Place, Recycled Earth, Jukai.
2. Shea Stadium- 2001, Lip Talk, Space Captain, Irrevery.
November 24 
1. Funkadelic Studios- Great Grief, Bungler, Anlma, Deathbeds.
November 25 
1. West Side Park- Title Fight, Cold World, War Hungry,Westpoint, Maniac.
November 26
1. Shakers Pub- Negative Approach, Deathcycle, Child Bite, Hangman.

Hope For Shelter Fest 2015

This Saturday, November 21st, Texas will be having the first annual Hope For Shelter Fest. This music festival is strictly for hardcore, crossover, and metalcore. Some of the bands on this lineup are the up and coming of Texas hardcore. This fest takes place in San Antonio, Texas at The Paper Tiger. This is a benefit show for abused children in the San Antonio area.  

Lineup

Stigmata

Gatecreeper

Drown

Lowered A.D.

No Victory

Bind

XCounterX

Judiciary

Vamachara

Truth’s Last Horizon

Inrage

Enchant

Pulled Under

Bloodhound

Scourge

Purgatory

Heaven’s Final War

Dislocated   

Upcoming Tours

Review- flawed. by Autopsy Turvy

Recently, a pal of mine approached me with this release from Potsdam based pop/emo/folk-punk band Autopsy Turvy. Listening to it for the first time, I was drawn in by the emotion it brings but was also drawn to the lo-fi quality that makes this a little gem to listen to if you're feeling down at all.
 I think the sound they're going for is interesting primarily because of the mix of genres they're including in the sound. It draws elements of emo, folk, folk punk and even pop punk in some aspects.  Sonically, the instrumentals are somewhat muted because of the audio quality but it adds a charming effect to the release as a whole. I'm particularly fond of the addition of the banjo on the second track, as well as the trumpet that is featured through out the whole thing. Accompaniment aside, the great vocals on this release are what really shines for me. The lead vocals are great and add a lot of feeling to them but the louder backing vocals are what I'm most particularly fond of. This also goes to the gang vocals that are heard through out.
 The lyrical content is very typical to this style of music, with motifs of loss, breakups, stagnancy of growing older and the like. It really makes the whole thing relateable as well as catchy and easy to learn so one could potentially join in on the gang vocals at a live performance if you're into that kind of thing, which I think goes without saying, most people are.
 All in all, this release is solid, and I'll bestow upon it a solid 7/10. The thing I would work on if I was in this band was making the instrumentals a tad louder, but other than that, it's a solid release and I look forward to more from Autopsy Turvy

Listen and download on Bandcamp

Upcoming Shows 11/13/15-11/19/15

Here's another week of upcoming shows we would like you to check out. Please note all of these shows are in the Tri-state area.
November 13
1. The Diamond Club- Spine, Genocide Pact, Backslider, Blindside USA, Mad Diesel, Impact, Deject.
2. Shaker's Pub- Born Without Bones, Dead Leaves, Pine, For Those Who Knew, Colorful Kid.
3. AMH- This Good Robot, Missing Maddox, Wings of The Whale, Playing Dead, Best Regards, Memo, Crash The Calm.
4. The Grand Victory- The Fu's, Agitator, Spewing Cum.
5. The Grand Victory- R-Tronika, Rudio Armada.
6. Trickshot Billiards Sports Pub- Brick By Brick, Trife Life, Ego Destroy, Borrowed Time, Execution Style, Sworn Enemy.
7. The Brighton Bar- Bad Droidz, Gravity Well, Bombshell Renegades, Wicked Hollow, Altered Cross, Boids.
8. Alphaville- U.S. Girls, Escape-Ism, Rebel Kind.
9. Trans-Percos- Lee Renaldo, Chris Forsyth & Nick Milleval, Ancient Ocean.
10. Tromaville- Rejiem, BIble Thumper, Led Paint, Skit Krieg.
11. Bushwick Public House- London Eyes, Cassandra Sun, Only Siblings, PM Radio, So Yesterday.
12. Sinclair's Pub- The Avoiders, Urban Waste, Staleworth, Muckrakers, Acid Boy.
13. The Knitting Factory- Mustard Plug, Survay Says!, Rude Boy George.
14. Even Flow Bar and Grill- Sic Waiting, All Things End, Broken Bay Coalition, Flak Jacket, Nox Cult.
15. Red Bank Rehearsal- Offtop, Mom Fight, Matty Carlock, Painted Young.
16. The Meatlocker- The Banner, Facility, Ninety Six, Death Vacation.
November 14
1. AMH- The Beautiful Ones, Bent Life, Regulate, Crash and Burn, Separated, Brainwaves.
2. M201- Koji, Petal, Grey Gordon, Nobody's Babe, Casanova, Nick Abushady.
3. Aviv- Donovan Wolfington, Slingshot Dakota, Doubting Thomas Cruise Control, Stringer.
4. Revolution Music Hall- Vision of Disorder, Murphy's Law, Zire's War, Demon Racer.
5. The Marlin Room at Webster Hall - Knuckle Puck, Seaway, Sorority Noise, Head North.
6. The Brighton Bar- Mustard Plug, Backyard Superheroes, Teenage Halloween.
7. Webster Hall- Nada Surf, Slothrust.
8. The Grand Victory- A Breed Apart, Danny Diablo, Full Scale Riot, Enziguri, Point Blank NYHC, Arrogant Response, Choke Artist, No Dice, Crime Scene.
9. Tiger Lounge- Deacon Bill, Never, Teds Dead, Katie Ellen.
10. Palisades- No Bunny, David Peel, Crazy & The Brains.
11. ABC No Rio- White Widows Pact, Backsliders, Genocide Pact, Hell Mary.
12. Baby's All Right- Dilly Daily, LVL Up.
13. My Pizza Place- Rivers Monroe, Lineup Atlantic, Juke Albi.
14. Shea Stadium- The Sueves, Pink Mexico, Make Overs, Finks.
15. The Clinic- Spine, Ugly Parts, Blind Side, Big Bad Wolf.
16. The Acheron- The Men, Wild Mouth, PC Worship.
17. Otto's Shrunken Head- Thulsa Doom, Universal Truth Machine, Kosmic Daydream, Ruckus Interrupts.
November 15
1. AMH- The Devotchkas, The Loitereks, The Clap, Space Robot Scientists, Confuzes, Donald Dick, Endangered Feces, Jones Crusher.
2. Bowery Ballroom- Fuzz, The Men, Walter.
3. The Studio at Webster Hall- The Saddest Landscape, Vattuet Wisher.
4. Webster Hall- GWAR, Born of Osiris, Battlecross, Syka.
5. The Meatlocker- Street Feet, Upheavel, Kids Having Kids, Furnace Head, Weather Love.
6. Shea Stadium- No One & The Somebodies, Polyon, Beedrrom Eyes, Nonsense, Decorum.
7. Warren American Legion- The Beautiful Ones, Bent Life, Caught In a Crowd, Regulate, Threat 2 Society, Impact.
8. Saint Vitus Bar- Godmaker, Die Choking, Curved Up, Spotlights.
November 16
Playstation Theater- Public Image LTD.
November 17
1. Music Hall of Williamsburg- !!!, Stereolab.
2. Terminal 5- Puscifer.
3. Gamecharger World- Knuckle Puck, Seaway, Sorority Noise, Head North.
November 18
1. The Webster- H2O, Angel Dust, GIVE, On Bodies.
2. Bowery Ballroom- !!!, Stereolab.
3. The Grand Victory- Arrabio, Adicto X, TBA.
November 19
1. AMH- Gin War, The Traditional The Walking Tree, Only Sibling, Casanova, Table Talk, Life After TV.
2. Music Hall of Williamsburg- Diarrhea Planet, Music Band, Soda Bomb.
3. Playstation Theater- King Diamond, Exodus.
4. Alphaville- Creepoid, Longings, Banbara, Slur.

REVIEW- Black Sheep by Izzy Heltai

Just a short month ago, singer/songwriter Izzy Heltai put out his five track release entitled Black Sheep. I had found this release through somebody who had messaged the blog about it and they mentioned it was folk, naturally I had to listen. Before I begin, this release is wholeheartedly for fans of Bright Eyes, Mumford and Sons and other acts in that light, so take that into account.
 Sonically, this release is super pleasant to listen to, with soft Americana influenced folk melodies that soothe the soul and bring to mind images of soft rolling hills and pleasant valleys of New England, the home region of Izzy. I'm also very partial to the harmonica that hums softly in the background to some of the tracks.
 Vocally, Izzy's vocal talent really shines on this release, where I can safely say I get a really strong vibe of Connor Oberst without the sadness and trepidation in his diction. Together, with the great accompaniment make for an incredibly enjoyable listening experience. So, to keep this review short and sweet, this release from Izzy Heltai gets a solid 9/10 from me, and I highly recommend picking it up on his bandcamp

Izzy's bandcamp!

The Story So Far, Basement, Turnover, and Somerset Thrower at The Emporium 11/08/15

             Last Sunday, East Coast Collective put on another great show at the Emporium. The Story So Far, Basement, and Turnover came to play their Long Island date of the tour. They also had the local Long Island band Somerset Thrower to open. For those who don’t know the Emporium, this venue is one of the biggest on Long Island. The big shows that ECC does are always at this venue and last Sunday was a fun one.

The opening band was Somerset Thrower. Somerset Thrower is a grunge-influenced rock band. This is my second time seeing this wonderful band. The first time I saw them in front of 75 people at AMH, so now seeing them in front of probably 300 (or more) is crazy. Somerset played a short 15-20 min set but they showed the audience how great they are. They even got a pit going, which shows people really liked their own local band.  If you like grunge and punk, you should really check them out because these guys should be more popular. These guys were a great opener for the night and totally recommend seeing this band.

The next band was Turnover. Turnover is from Virginia Beach, VA. This was my third time seeing Turnover and they have an amazing sound. Each time I see them their sound is something else and I just enjoy it. The crowd seemed quiet, but I saw a lot of people singing along. Their entire set was from their new album Peripheral Vision. When Turnover played their last song I saw people starting to crowd surf which I thought was interesting. Besides that, there was nothing bad about their set and Turnover gets better and better each time I see them live. It’s funny, when I saw them back in March I could not stand them until the new album and everything changed for me.   

Basement was up next and was the only international band on the bill. Basement is from the United Kingdom and this was my third time seeing them. Basement played the same exact set I saw them last time and I was not mad at all. Every song was great and I absolutely loved it. Basement rocks the place every time I see them. The crowd was pretty intense. The pit was non-stop and so was the amount of people crowd surfing. I really loved the crowd for this but it did not beat the first time I saw them in New Jersey. Overall, Basement had a great set and was probably the best band of the night. I could see this band every night of the week and not get bored. I cannot wait to see them again.

The headliner  was The Story So Far. This was my fifth time seeing this pop-punk band from Cali. TSSF is one of the most popular pop-punk band of this generation and probably the best pop-punk band live. TSSF gets a lot of people pumped, but this time I was not feeling them. I feel like I out grew them and basically do not want to hear the same music over and over again. Their set was mostly songs off their new album but the new album was not anything special. TSSF is great band and their music is great but it’s getting to a point where they should do something new. Overall there were a lot of people enjoying their set and I will never take any credit away from them since people really go off for them. If you never see this band live or any of the bands I mention in this article you are messing up big time; basically these bands all are great live bands.

The Story So Far- 9/10

Basement- 10/10

Turnover- 10/10

Somerset Thrower- 9/10

The Emporium- 7/10

Overall Concert- 9/10

   

The Hotelier, Runaway Brother, Oso Oso, and The Spirit of The Beehive at The Studio at Webster Hall 11/08/15

            Last Friday, I went to the Webster Hall to see The Hotelier. The Hotelier was playing The Studio at Webster Hall, the smallest room in the venue. This was my first time seeing this band and all of the openers. Out of all the rooms in Webster Hall, The Studio is the only room where I’ve only been at maybe less than three times. The room is nice and tight for a punk rock show, so I was hoping for the best. The first time was in this room I got my glasses broken during Anti-Flag, so punk shows belong in this room.

            The opening band of the night was The Spirit of The Beehive. This indie rock/emo band is from Philly and has a very interesting sound. The music that was coming I enjoyed, but I was not into their vocals. Plus I’m not a fan of seeing three guitars on stage. It’s an issue I always have because I hate seeing two guitars play the same riff and another guitar doing something else. Otherwise, this band was okay. They kind of remind me of Sonic Youth with the uses of their instruments. Looking around the crowd, it looked like people were really into them.  Overall I was not too into them but they played a pretty good set.

            Up next was Oso Oso. Oso Oso is from Long Beach, New York. I’ve been meaning to see this band for awhile. I’ve missed them quite a few times. Last Friday, I finally got my chance and it was well worth it. Oso Oso played a great set. The only thing that sucked was that they did not get a good reaction, but they were well liked but many people. I thought Oso Oso was the best opener of the night and I’m mad I waited so long to see this band. If you like Weezer, Modern Baseball, or other geeky punk rock, this band is for you.

            The last opener was Runaway Brother. Runaway Brother is from Cleveland, Ohio. This band really bored me, which disappointed me because I want to be amped up for The Hotelier. The band was okay and talented but they did not interest me at all. They were okay for who they are, otherwise I think another band should have played right before The Hotelier rather than them.

            The Hotelier took the stage and everybody was ready. The Hotelier are from Worchester, MA. Before they started they made an announcement that this show will get crazy and wanted there was to be no stage diving or crowd surfing. I thought that was weird, but I realized it’s a small stage and they are just looking out for their fans. First song the place erupted and I was like, "wow. I didn’t expect that at all." The way people go off to Joyce Manor is the same exact way people were going off to the Hotelier. The crowd was insane and there was big pit and people rushing up to the front. The Hotelier was so good that I would totally see them again. I recommend to everyone is reading this that you see this band before you die. So much fun live and I cannot wait for them to come back.       

The Hotelier- 10/10

Runaway Brother- 6/10

Oso Oso- 8.5/10

The Spirit of The Beehive- 7/10

The Studio at Webster Hall- 7/10

Overall Concert- 8/10

    

Deafheaven, Envy, and Tribulation at Webster Hall 11/05/15

              Last Thursday, I went to Webster Hall to see Deafhevaen for the second time. Deafheaven is a band that mixes black metal with elements of post metal and shoegaze. The band has recently been titled the heads of “Blackgaze.” Deafheaven is currently on tour with legendry Japanese screamo band Envy and the band Tribulation. This show was sold out show and I believe this was their biggest headlining show, with a max capacity of 1,000 fans.

            The opening band Tribulation was an interesting opener. Tribulation is from Sweden and they are a combination of black metal and rock 'n roll. At first, I was thinking this was just a generic black metal band. I was very wrong. They played a lot of slower than expected and they had this really weird hard rock vibe. Their clothes were very 70’s Arena Rock but they had corpse paint on. This is probably the closest black metal band to really look like Kiss. I give this band a lot of credit because they weren’t generic by any means. They were not a band for me, but I have a lot of respect for them.

            Envy took the stage and I did not know what to expect. Envy's set was just mind blowing. Envy went from these spoken word parts (which were in Japanese), to straight post-rock jams, to fast hardcore. Envy got a good reaction from the crowd, even though I did not see anyone singing along. I was thinking I would rather see this band in a small bar instead of a big stage with barricades. They are a type of band that just fits well with a small crowd rather than a huge crowd. This does not take any credit away from their performance because they were something else. Unfortunately, I have no idea when they will be back because this is their first North American tour since 2011/2012. If you ever get the chance to see this band, do not blow your chance. It might be your only time.

            Deafheaven finally took the stage and was just as amazing as the last time I saw them. This "blackgaze" band from San Francisco played an amazing eight song set. They played everything off of their new album New Bermuda and some others. Every song off of the new album sounded perfect. If you have not checked out New Bermuda, you must because it’s 100% different from Sunbather.  The crowd was crazy for Deafheaven. People were moshing and crowd surfing. I thought the first time I saw them that they were something else, but this time I felt that I could see this band night after night. There’s something spiritual about this band I absolutely love this band, far more than any other black metal bands.  Deafheaven is probably the best metal band in my opinion, as of right now. Please, if you are reading this, you must see this band.

Deafheaven- 10/10

Envy- 10/10

Tribulation- 7/10

Webster Hall- 8/10

Overall Concert- 9/10

    

Upcoming Tours

The Cure
MAY
11th
New Orleans, LA
On-sale and show info announced soon
13th
Austin, TX
Frank Erwin Center
On Sale: 11/13
14th
Houston, TX
On-sale and show info announced soon
15th
Dallas, TX
On-sale and show info announced soon
17th
El Paso, TX
Don Haskins Center
On Sale: 11/13
19th
Las Vegas, NV
The Chelsea Theater at The Cosmopolitan
On Sale: 11/13
20th
Chula Vista, CA
Sleep Train Amphitheater
On Sale: 11/13
22nd/23rd/24th - sold out
Los Angeles
The Hollywood Bowl
26th
Mountain View, CA
Shoreline Amphitheatre
On Sale: 11/13
31st
Vancouver, BC
Festival Lawn at Deer Lake Park
On Sale: 11/27
JUNE
3rd
Salt Lake City, UT
Maverik Center
On Sale: 11/13
5th
Denver, CO
Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre
On Sale: 11/14
8th
Kansas City, MO
Starlight Theatre
On Sale: 11/14
10th/11th - sold out
Chicago, Il
U.I.C Pavilion
12th or 13th
Toronto, On
On-sale and show info announced soon
14th
Montreal, QC
Bell Centre
On Sale: 11/27
16th
Boston, MA
On-sale and show info announced soon
18th/19th/20th - some tickets remaining for 20th
NYC, NY
Madison Square Garden
22nd
Columbia, MD
Merriweather Post Pavilion
On Sale: 11/13
24th
Atlanta, GA
Aarons Amphitheater Lakewood
On Sale: 11/13
26th
Miami, FL
Bayfront Park Amphitheater
On Sale: 11/14

Upcoming Tours

UPCOMING POISON IDEA TOUR DATES!!!!!!

NOVEMBER
6th - Portland,OR - Dante's with My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult
12th - Dallas,TX - Elm St. Tattoo and Music
13th - Austin,TX - The Lost Well
14th - San Antonio,TX - Housecore Horror Festival
DECEMBER
11th - Reno,NV - Shea's Tavern
12th - San Francisco,CA - Thee Parkside
13th - Berkeley,CA - The Gilman
14th - Santa Cruz,CA - The Catalyst
15th - Anaheim,CA - The Doll Hut
16th - San Diego,CA - Soda Bar
17th - Long Beach,CA - Alex's Bar
18th - Ventura,CA - The Garage
19th - Sacramento,CA - Blue Lamp
JANUARY
2nd - Portland,OR - ASH St. with The Lovesores & Shadowhouse
FEBRUARY
11th - Richmond,VA - Strange Matter
12th - Baltimore,MD - Ottobar
13th - Philadelphia,PA - Voltage Lounge
14th - Brooklyn,NY - The Acheron
15th - Amityville,NY - Amityville Music Hall
16th - Wallingford,CT - Cherry Street Station
17th - Somerville,MA - Once Somerville
18th - Albany,NY - Fuzebox
19th - Montreal,QC - Bar le Ritz
20th - Toronto,ON - Hard Luck
21st - TBA

Donovan Wolfington 

 New Orleans, LA - Nov 10th w/ Alex g, Girlpool @ Republic

Nashville, TN - Nov 11th @ Exponent Manor
Hamden, CT - Nov 13th @ The Space w/ Pinegrove
Brooklyn, NY - Nov 14th @ Aviv w/ Slingshot Dakota
Boston, MA - Nov 15th @ Fever Tree w/ burglary years
Philadelphia, PA - Nov 16th @ PhilaMOCA w/ Clique
Pittsburgh, PA - Nov 17th @ The People's Warehouse w/ Koji
Richmond, VA - Nov 18th @ Strange Matter w/ Wild Moth, Sundials
Atlanta, GA - Nov 19th @ The Masquerade w/ Petal and Free Throw

ALBUM REVIEW- EP by Barus

Recently, a French death metal band named Barus put out a fine release that I found through surfing through bandcamp. Upon listening, I found a chaotic, amalgamation of black and death metal that I can only describe as pure, good heavy tunes. According to their bandcamp page, "Barús evokes a weight, a burden. Through music, it reveals an introspective state of mind: A grain of sand lost in the vastness. A questioning of all things. Death. " and I must say that if that isn't the most metal fucking thing, I don't know what is. 
 To start, sonically this band is extremely well put together, with some really catchy, heavy riffs and leads that drift ever so casually into the avant-garde end of the metal spectrum. With a broad spectrum of sound that does not fall into any particular catagory but takes elements from many, this is something that I find incredibly interesting. The drum and bass parts of the tracks are incredibly solid as well. Though, I have to say I am most partial to the sampling in the background that adds a sense of atmosphere to the tracks.
 Vocally, this release is very much typical of metal, though some chanting sounding vocals in the background add a special atmosphere that makes it somewhat atypical in a great way. Some of my favorite tracks on this release are Tarot and Chalice, the later particularly so for its incredibly heavy chug which grinds at the very soul almost in a dreadful way.
 Overall, this release is an interesting one to say the least and earns itself a solid 8/10 for that, and its incredibly well put together instrumentals. Pick up their tunes on bandcamp, the link will be below!

Bandcamp link

Upcoming Show 11/06/15-11/12/15

Here's another week of upcoming shows we would like you to check out. Please note all of these shows are in the Tri-State Area.
November 6
1. The Studio at Webster Hall- The Hotelier, Runaway Brother, Oso Oso, Spirit of The Beehive.
2. The Emporium- Blessthefall, Stick To Your Guns, Emarosa, Oceans Ate Alaska, Cane Hill.
3. AMH- Iron Chic, Wonk Unit (UK), Carlos Danger, Raging Nathans, Scout Boys.
4. The Acheron- Flipper, The Austerity Program.
5. The Acheron- La Armada, Ache, Bomb Scare.
6. Gussy Bar- Sweet Lucy!, Gone By Friday!, 8-Bit Hero, Hopeless Otis, The Best Lies.
7. Heirloom Arts Theatre- The Acacia Strain, Counterparts, Fit For An Autopsy, Kublai Khan, Currents, Young Graves.
8. The Paramount- Judas Priest, Mastodon.
9. Aviv- PWR BTTM, Mumblr, Winter Passing, Teen Death, Nonsense.
10. Legion Bar- After The Fall, Choke Up, Up For Nothing.
11. Palisades- Palm, Palberta. The Cradle.
12. Cake Shop- Chasons, Planning For Burial, Dark Tunnels.
13. Astro Lounge- Cutters, The Best of The Worst, Teenage Halloween, Basement Beers, Bubblegum Octopus.
14. The Meatlocker- Collective Man, Dumb Brothers, Ment Monaco.
15. Don Pedro- Guitar Lightnin Lee & His Thunder Band, The Pisses, World War IX, The Artist Formally Known As Vince Band.
November 7
1. Shakers Pub- Secret Stuff, Well Kept Things, We Take Fire, An Old Friend, Casanova.
2. AMH- Kingsnake, Driftoff, Halfton Session, The Last Stand, Demon Racer.
3. The Acheron- AKKA, Green Berat, Razorheads, Indignation, Chainsaw.
4. The Clinic- MVA, Prospect, No Hope Nation, Choke, Diamond Hair Bush.
5. The Grand Victory- God of Wine, I Disappear, Spirit Breaker, Eyes in The Night.
6. The Grand Victory- Sworn Enemy, Robots and Monster, Hellshot, Juan Bond.
7. The Space- The Hotelier, Runaway Brother, Oso Oso, Spirit of The Beehive.
8. Rough Trade NYC- Cymbals Eat Guitars, Solvey, Painted Zeros.
9. Marlin Room at Webster Hall- YOB, Black Cobra, Kings Destroy.
10. The Stone Pony- Vanilla Fudge, The Unknowns, Spit Fire.
11. Starland Ballroom- The Story So Far, Basement, Turnover.
12. ABC No Rio- Material Support, Dominio Propio, Burden To The Grave.
13. Mill Hill Basement- Iron Chic, Honah Lee, City Limits, Goddamit, Wade Wilson.
14. Palisades- Washer, Patio, Doubting Thomas Cruise Control, Spit.
15. Shea Stadium- The Dirty Nil, Witch Coast, Fat Heaven, Hope Lives.
16. Obriens- The Tallest Trees in The Universe, Carbon Thief, The Nightmare Police, Suburban Zombie, Smitty Lives.
17. My Pizza Place- Living Laser, Blind Justice, Breakaway, Lost Souls, Hangman, Failed Future.
November 8
1. The Emporium- The Story So Far, Basement, Turnover, Somerset Thrower.
2. BoonTunes- Wrestling Moves, dutchboys, Spatman, echoscape.
3. Good Room- Mean Jeans, The Jeanies, Nuclear Santa Claus, Citizen Blast Kane.
4. The Grand Victory- Swamp, Sat Yugraha, Seeing Snakes, Goddamit.
5. Hardcore Sweet Cupcakes- Aviator, Setsuna, Sex Bomb, Knife Garden.
6. Music Hall of Williamsburg- Screaming Females, Potty Mouth, Aye Nako.
7. The Grand ballroom at Webster Hall- DIIV, No Joy, Sunflower Bean.
November 9
1. The Meatlocker- Swamps, Waste of Life, Ninety-Six, Ten Ton Hammer, Cross Check.
2. The Acheron- World is Shit, Skaz, Kids Having Kids.
3. Marlin Room at Webster Hall- The Ghost Inside, As Days Fade, Heroes, TBA.
November 10
1. Webster Hall- The Charlatans, Eyelids, Dinowalrus.
2. Beacon Theatre- Patti Smith and her band.
3. Rough Trade- Surfer Blood, Ski Lodge.
4. Baby's All Right- The Birtany's, Acid Dad, Triathalon, Tall Juan.
5. Arlene's Grocery- In The Whale, Winstons.
November 11
1. The Grand Victory- Communication Corporation, The Shipwrecks, Boids, Gotham City Mashers, Swerve of Oks.
2. Baby's All Right- Moving Units, Cheatahs.
November 12
1. The Paramount- Skinny Puppy, Youth Code.
2. AMH- Koji, Grey Gorden, An Old Friend, The View From Up Here, Figure Eight, Sam Pollet.
3. Aviv- Asplga, Dead Stars, Phone Home, Safety.
4. LDS Center- Beach Fossils, Turnip King, Sun Flowerbean, Jungle Gypsy.
5. Shea Stadium- Fred Thomas, Future Punx, Dead Waves, Clean Girls, Heavy Birds.

Upcoming Tours

Misifts and She Demons at Playstation Theater 10/27/15

           Last Tuesday, The Misfits came to New York City to play their annual Halloween tour. This is my fifth year in a row seeing them on this tour. They played at the Playstation Theatre, previously known as the Best Buy Theatre. This was my sixth time seeing the Misfits. The Misfits  are one of my favorite bands of all time, and even though this band is not the original lineup and doesn’t have any original members, Jerry Only does a great job to keep this band alive.

The opening band of the night was She Demons. She Demons is a five piece all-girl hard rock/power pop band from Los Angeles. Before they played, I expected a rockabilly band or a punk band. The minute they start to play, I disliked them. I felt I was watching girls playing a harder version of the Runaways and they brought that 1980’s LA Glam Metal vibe that I can’t stand at all. The music wasn’t that good and they did a bad Ramones cover. Overall, I was not fan of this band.

Misfits finally took the stage and literally played an hour and half worth of their material. They played two albums in it’s entirety, which were Walk Among Us and Earth A.D. The Misfits were great and every song sounded great. What sucked about this show was that a lot of people there weren’t going off for them and the venue sucked for this band. This show should have been in a small place where the real Misfits band should have been at. But it was cool hearing songs like “Last Caress” and “Astro Zombies.” Usually Jerry Only doesn’t play some of the Glenn Danzig for some weird reason, but finally hearing them I went nuts. The entire Earth A.D. part of the set had nonstop circle pits, probably because that’s their fastest record. I had a lot of fun at this show and I cannot wait to see the Misfits next October for another Halloween tour.

Misfits- 10/10

She Demons- 5/10

Playstation Theater- 8/10

Overall Concert-  9/10   

October Releases

Well, another month down 'til the end of the year, but this year October came out with a lot of really cool releases that you guys should totally check out. Here's my top three:

1. Foundation- Turncoat
2. Deafheaven- New Burma
3. Beach Slang- The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel like Us

But of course, here are some other releases that you should check out:

Coheed and Cambria- The Color Before The Sun

Drug Church- Hit Your Head

Eagles of Death Metal- Zipper Down

Greys- Repulsions

H2O- Use Your Voice

Loma Prieta- Self Portrait

Night Birds- Mutiny at Muscle Beach

Petal- Shame

The Saddest Landscape- Darkness Forgives

Seaway- Colourblind

Spencer Radcliffe- Looking In

State Champs- Around The World and Back

Twitching Tongues- Disharmony  

Upcoming Tours