Podcast: Ep. 52 - This is the End

Lost Tribe Podcast

 

Ep. 52: This is the End

Well folks, it's been real.  Here at Lost Tribe we don't pride ourselves on much, but we are proud of the fact that we have been able to give you a quality podcast each and every week.  Come hell or high water we've always delivered a podcast that we've been proud of, and we aren't about to start half-assing things now.  As a result, this will be our last podcast for the time being.  Life just gets too busy sometimes and with a slew of weddings, second/third/fourth jobs, vacations, etc. there is no way that we can keep delivering a podcast every single week.  For the time being we will be going on 'hiatus'.  What that means, I'm not exactly sure, but it does allow us to return at a future date if we are so inclined, and maybe get in on some that reunion tour money (Judge and American Nightmare doesn't deserve it all).  And for anyone wondering, yes, we will still keep the website going, and will probably be a lot more active posting reviews there as we no longer have the podcast to discuss the music/movies/comics/video games/politics/etc. that we do or do not like.  So enjoy this final episode, where the boys talk about not-so-sexy gangster rap, World War Z, and a whole bunch of other cool shit.  It's been a lot of fun, so thanks for listening.

If you are looking to download older episodes, get them while they are hot...we will be removing them from the interweb by Sept. 1st.  You can currently download all 52 episodes and just listen to them whenever you want, but as of the end of the summer they will no longer be available.

Get it on iTunes or here.

Podcast: Ep. 48: The Future is Now, Motherfuckers!

Lost Tribe Podcast

 

Ep. 48: The Future is Now, Motherfuckers!

In this episode the boys discuss awesome local hardcore shows (RIP Purity Control and hurray for Pick Your Side) and revist the Rob Ford crack smoking scandal.  The majority of the episode is dedicated to the return of Arrested Development and how season 4 stacks up against previous episodes (hint: we like it, but lets not go overboard, it wasn't THAT great).  Following that, the boys discuss how the future is here, and it's going to watch you in your living room! Xbox One, PS4, etc. are all on their way and while their technology is impressive, it may also turn out to be invasive and downright creepy.

Get it on iTunes or here.

Podcast: Ep. 47 - You're the Wrong Kind of Nerd

Lost Tribe Podcast

 

Ep. 47: You're the Wrong Kind of Nerd

In this episode the boys discuss the comedic-live-theatre genius that is The Book of Mormon and what a frustrating clusterfuck trying to buy live theatre tickets can be.  In terms of music, old Nails and new The Wonder Years albums get discussed and praised while I See Star's cover of Bane gets properly ripped apart.  At this point the discussion turns to the boys' nerdy youth, when Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering ruled their girl-less nights.  Also, how fucking cool are 20-sided dice?

Get it on iTunes or here.

Podcast: Ep. 45 - Slayer!!!

Lost Tribe Podcast

 

Ep. 45 - Slayer!!!

This week the boys begin by discussing Iron Man 3 (dont' worry, no spoilers) and happy-go-lucky music that seems to have an appeal during summer time. From there the majority of the episode focuses on the passing of Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman and what it has meant to the metal community and to each of the boys themselves.  This was a musician who was a true juggernaut, and almost single-handedly transformed what Trash Metal guitar playing was.  He wrote Angel of Death.  He wrote Reign in Blood.  And now he's dead.  Fuck.  RIP.

Get it on iTunes or here.

Review: Spaz out - Demo

Spaz out

 

Demo

Self-Released

It most likely some form of nationalism speaking, but I honestly believe that Canada puts out a disproportionate amount of good hardcore/metal/punk bands.  As a country that is a mere 10% the size of the USA, we pump out consistently great, groundbreaking, and fun bands that end up making an impact despite being from the frozen North-Western corner of the globe.  While Lost Tribe is centered out of Toronto, and we all consider TOHC to be our hometown music, I once lived in Ottawa and still hold a fair amount of love for the nation’s capital.

It was this geographic affection that caused me to check out Ottawa's own, Spaz out.  Now, beside the fact that it should be spelled “Spazz” in my opinion, I love everything about this band.  The demo sounds raw (it is a demo of course), but the intensity and fury comes through clearly on every song.  “Tangled” and “Cut the Shit pt. 2” bring a style of early 2000s hardcore that I will always love best.  “Blind to the Truth” is probably my favourite song, mixing killer hc riffs, metal dive bombs, and a gang-vocal breakdown.  What’s not to love??!!  “Losing Grip” speeds things up and adds some metallic and punk roots to the release that fit perfectly. 

Look, I know we usually don’t do track-by-track breakdowns of what we review, but every song on this release is good in a different way, so blanket statements are kinda hard to come by.  Furthermore, when a new band puts out something this impressive it’s worth taking a step back and appreciating each track....jesus, now it sounds like a want to blow this band.....and I do....musically.  Only musically.

Get a free download of the demo here, and buy a physical copy whenever that becomes available.

 

Podcast: Ep. 41 - Drinking Like Don Draper

Lost Tribe Podcast

Ep. 41: Drinking Like Don Draper

In this episode the boys talk about American Nightmare's impending Canadian show and how weird it was that the internet didn't catch on fire when tickets went on sale.  After discussing how good the new Paint It Black is and the return of Game of Thrones.  Next, there is much discussion about how shitty fat suits are, but how great old fashions taste when Mad Men becomes the topic of conversation.  To end things off on a high note every one complains about the end of Weeds, the movie This is 40, and just how fucking depressing living in Canada during the wintertime can be.

Get it on iTunes or here.

Podcast: Ep. 40 - The Marshall Mathers Episode

Lost Tribe Podcast

 

Ep. 40: The Marshall Mathers Episode

In this episode the boys talk about awesome hardcore (Incendiary, Rotting Out and Shai Hulud) and our decline in the interest in rap battles (for a cornucopia of reasons).  The conversation then drifts towards some rappers inability to write full records and just how incredible Eminem was and probably could still be if he would just stop putting out utter nonsense.  Also, the boys apologize for the utter shit music that Canada is known for putting out (we have good music I swear!  We had(ve) No Warning!  Cursed!  Fucked Up! Stompin’ Tom!) .  Then everything gets insanely sad when the documentary The Invisible War is discussed.  

Get it on iTunes or here.

Podcast: Ep. 39 - I Thought Reagan Was God

Lost Tribe Podcast

 

Ep. 39: I Thought Reagan Was God

In this episode the boys talk about the Reagan era!  That means there is discussion about the music of the era and what happens when you get raised secular and end up thinking that Ronald Reagan is in fact God....ya.  From there everyone discusses what podcasts/radio shows they have been listening to and which to absolutely avoid (we are looking at you Savage Nation). Finally, discussions devolve into insults based on what it would be like to travel to Mars together.

Get it on iTunes or here.

Podcast: Ep. 38 - Don't Be a Sperm Jacker

Lost Tribe Podcast

 

Ep. 38: Don't Be a Sperm Jacker

On this weeks episode the boys talk about GI Joe, growing up in the country, and all of the fucked up things that come with growing up in the sticks.  We discuss the types of things we'd do for cash when we were little, and a few disturbing things that have happened to us with social workers...and it's not what you think.

Get it on iTunes or here.

Review: Ruined Families - Blank Language

Ruined Families

Blank Language

Adagio 830

Sometimes the world is a terrible, dark, shitty place.  Wars, famine, McDonalds putting tomato on my burger no matter how many fucking times I tell them that I don’t want those disgusting things anywhere near my food, and other such tragedies are all too commonplace.  As a result, it only makes sense that certain art is created to reflect the lowest, dirtiest, and rawest parts of this tomato-filled experience we call life.  Ruined Families is a band that specializes in this type of art.

I first heard about Ruined Families when the band contacted Lost Tribe to review their self-titled 7”, and quickly fell in love (read the review here if you don’t believe me.).  With a healthy mix of sludge, crust, hardcore, punk, and black metal, these Greeks (phrasing it like that sounds bigoted to me for some reason, but I can’t put my finger on why, so it’s gonna stay that way) show everyone how it should be done.  They have the intensity and hunger of a young band, but none of the usual trappings.  Their songs sound well-crafted, interesting, diverse, and forceful, and the lyrical subject matter is as bleak and dark as you might expect.

Songs like “Easy Livin’” and “Human Fence” sound killer but leave me pissed off that I may never get to see them performed live, as they have that there-is-broken-glass-and-blood-on-the-dance-floor feel that I’ve always appreciated in a live performance.  In fact, there isn’t a single track on this album that relents in any real way.  It’s a non-stop wave of depressing, punishing blackened hardcore.  In other words, what’s not to like! 

I think someone (not me) should give Ruined Families airfare to come tour North America.  I think they would do nicely opening for the likes of Wiccans.  Just a thought.

Either way, a solid fucking album from start to finish.

Buy it from here (I don’t know if they have N.A. distro yet)

Revew: Bad Religion - True North

Bad Religion

True North

Epitaph

Tracklist:

01. True North
02. Past is Dead
03. Robin Hood in Reverse
04. Land of Endless Greed
05. Fuck You
06. Dharma and the Bomb
07. Hello Cruel World
08. Vanity
09. In Their Hearts is Right
10. Crisis Time
11. Dept. of False Hope
12. Nothing To Dismay
13. Popular Consensus
14. My Head is Full of Ghosts
15. The Island
16. Changing Tide

It sometimes seems difficult to classify Bad Religion. Are they the reigning kings of punk? Are they hold-overs from a time gone by? Are they pretty much the only relevant group of 40+ year olds in punk? Are they out of touch, or still leading the questioning/rebelling punk masses? Well classifications aside, one thing is indisputable....Bad Religion is better than 90% of punk bands. Now, that sounds like sweeping statement with many unstated implications, and it is supposed to be. When Suffer came out in 1988 Bad Religion it blew everyone away. When they followed it up with No Control and Against the Grain, they solidified themselves as anything but a one-trick pony. Even when they were getting slagged for moving to a major label they put out albums like Stranger than Fiction and The Gray Race, which as you guessed it, are better than 90% of the punk that was being put out at the time.

Having a long career is one thing, but hitting your 20^th anniversary with an album like The Process of Belief is fucking unheard of. Not only was did that album quiet all naysayers, it marked the beginning of one of the, if not THE most impressive periods of Bad Religion's career. Now on the Lost Tribe podcast J. does a great job explaining the glory of the later years of Bad Religion, so listen to that, but it's worth noting that True North stands toe to toe with pretty much any of its predecessors in this latest Bad Religion period (ya, I know I'm talking about them like a modern art movement or something, but they deserve this type of reverence and respect).

True North continues Bad Religion's long-standing tradition of calling it like it is. There are songs decrying the catastrophic economic situation in America (“Robin Hood in Reverse”, “Land of Endless Greed”), and hold a cynical views of the world (“Hello Cruel World”, “Dept. Of False Hope”), but whatever the topic, the music and lyrics are driving and relentless. This is a band full of dads, business owners, and professors, and they still write balls to the fucking wall punk! And are GOOD at it!

Why do I seem so surprised? Because we live in a world where every band from the 80s, 90s, and even early 2000s are crawling out of their fucking graves for another $40-a-ticket grab at the brass ring, and it's downright depressing most of the time (Black Flag, I'm looking at you). Furthermore, these sad attempts at past glory are shown to be all the more hollow when a band like Bad Religion, who never had the sense to throw the towel in in the first place, delivers relevant, important music after over 30 years of being a band.

Goddammit, I love Bad Religion. I love screaming their lyrics at their concerts. I loved a childhood full of running to dictionaries as I read those lyrics. And I love a band that has had its ups and downs, but has always remained important, intelligent, and just plain fucking good.

Buy True North.

Lost Tribe Podcast - Ep. 30: The Honor of the Samurai

Lost Tribe Podcast

 

Ep. 30: The Honor of the Samurai

In this episode the boys discuss their seemingly irrational hatred for Karate, but as it turns out they have plenty of reasons.  Following these diatribes they get into the new Dropkick Murphys album and how great Bad Religion continues to be over 30 years into their career.  After discussing the finer points of ska the podcast ends with an informative discussion as to exactly the Wii-U is, and what happens when you buy it drunk.

Get it here or on iTunes.

Podcast: Lost Tribe Podcast - Ep. 29: Maybe Try Wearing A Shirt

Lost Tribe Podcast

Ep. 29: Maybe Try Wearing A Shirt

In this episode the boys discuss a wide array of topics, starting off with family death threats and then quickly moving on to Hatebreed and our unnatural apprecation of Tay-Swift.  After that the Oscar predictions are in and the praise and disdain is not in short supply.  Finally the boys finish off the night discussing websites they love (tumblr porn) and websites they love to hate (reddit).

Get it here or on iTunes.

Review: Vicious Cycle - Pale Blue Dot

Vicious Cycle

Pale Blue Dot

Deranged Records

One of the reasons that we like to review older albums periodically on Lost Tribe is because we are of the belief that just because something is new doesn't mean that it's better or that it's even worth discussing. Similarly, just because an album is a couple years old doesn't mean that it should be permanently shelved or forgotten about the second a newer shinier record passes in front of our eyes.

As a result, you are now reading an album that came out over 3 years ago, but (in my humble opinion) is still worth discussing, praising, and reminding others about. Pale Blue Dot was my introduction to Vicious Cycle, and they had me from the first note. Sounding like a stripped-down Fucked Up or even some unholy bastard child of proto-punk and 80s hardcore, these Sudbury natives helped solidify the reputation of Ontario hardcore as a hot bed of intensity and innovation in hardcore.

First off, I recognize that this album was talked about a lot in 2009 when it was released (but it still deserves more credit in 2012), and also just how impressive it is that a band from Sudbury (aka a central Ontario, Canada cultural wasteland/small, dirty city) still managed to garner as much hype and acclaim as they have. The reason for all of this is the music. It stands by itself as some of the catchiest, rawest hardcore punk being put out these days. The lyrics are bleak but ultimately hopeful, the riffs hit you hard, and the rhythm section helps ensure that there isn't a slow minute to be found. All in all, you should stop reading this review and begin listening to this album immediately.

Specifically, “Blur”, “Black Dot”, and “Pale Blue Dot” leave me fucking speechless every time I hear them...which is quite a feat if you are at all familiar with the Lost Tribe podcast. So rather than searching the internet for some early-2013 release to leak, why not go back and revel in the greatness that is Vicious Cycle for a little while. Kick up your feet, tell everyone to fuck right off for 21 minutes, and enjoy an album that reminds me why I started listening to hardcore in the first place. Also, guest vocals by Damien from Fucked Up and that dude from Alexisonfire!

Or don't. It's just a suggestion. I'm not your mother.

Buy it here.

Podcast: Lost Tribe Podcast - Ep. 23: Goddammit Pantera!

Lost Tribe Podcast

Ep. 23: Goddammit Pantera!

In this episode the boys discuss good Oi! records, and how much fun it can be to revisit some classic albums from your past.  As a result, Pantera, Judas Priest, Throwdown, Slayer, Halford, and other classics get discussed.  Next, Chris discusses the weird streak of hallucination episodes there have been on TV lately, which eventually degenerates into full on worship of all things Beavis and Butthead and Ren and Stimpy.  So really, this is a podcast for everyone.  Enjoy, you lucky devils!

Get it on iTunes or download it here.

Podcast: Lost Tribe Podcast - Ep. 20: ...Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying ad Love Thrash Metal

Lost Tribe Podcast

Ep. 20: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying ad Love Thrash Metal

In this episode we find out what happens when a punk falls out of love with Social Distortion and in love with Thrash Metal, but not before pointing out that a tv biker gang is waaaaay different than a real biker gang.  The boys then proceed to shit talk Metallica and discuss how nazi-esque Norwegian Black Metal can be.

Get it on iTunes or here.

Podcast: Ep. 17 - The World's Most Complicated Comedy Festival

Lost Tribe Podcast - Ep. 17: The World's Most Complicated Comedy Festival

In this episode the boys try and decipher how the Just For Laughs comedy festival worked this year in Toronto...and yes, it's much more complicated and ridiculous than you think.  The boys also talk about how great Pig Destroyer is and how insane metal vinyl prices are.  Finally, one member details the awesomeness of The Simpson's mobile video.

Get it on iTunes or here.

Review: Bomb the Music Industry! - Goodbye Cool World!

Bomb the Music Industry!

Goodbye Cool World!

Quote Unquote Records

Tracklisting:

1. Old and Unprofessional
2. King of Minneapolis, Pts. I & II
3. Even Winning Feels Bad
4. Side Projects are Never Successful
5. 5 Funerals
6. My Response To An Article In Alternative Press
7. Sorry, Brooklyn. Dancing Won't Solve Anything.
8. It's Official! We're Borrrrring!
9. From Martyrdom To Startyrdom
10. All Alone In My Big Empty Apartment
11. Fuck The Fans
12. Grudge Report
13. King of Minneapolis, Pts. III & IV
14. Anywhere I Lay My Head (Tom Waits Cover)

I guess it’s worth restating that we have a “review what you want, not just what’s new” policy here at Lost Tribe.  I mean, I understand why most sites only review new albums, but fuck it, we didn’t have a website when the majority of my record collection was released, so from time to time we like to use this platform as a way to express our love and gratitude of some of the most oft-played albums we have.

The reason it occurred to me to review Goodbye Cool World is because I’m currently downloading the newest Jeff Rosenstock (singer/guitarist/mastermind of BTMI!) release and it’s taking forever, so I threw on my favourite Bomb the Music Industry! release.  In fact, I’m sure a review of the Jeff Rosenstock compilation/mix-tape/demos/whatever album that he just put out in the near future, but for now, enjoy a rant about a record that came out six (!) years ago.

I love Bomb the Music Industry! for all of the same reasons that most people do: they release donation-only albums, they have embraced how music is purchased/understood in the 21^st century, they are incredibly fun to see live, they don’t take themselves too seriously, they are smart, and they write incredible songs.  The latter reason is readily apparent in this mash of ska, hardcore, and synth/piano-infused punk rock.  On paper, the BTMI! Probably shouldn’t work.  They are sonically schizophrenic and seem much more interested in the intensity of a song than the technical execution, but these are the reasons that makes Jeff and co. so damn compelling.  They are able to convey that music should be, above all else, fun and meaningful.

BTMI! loves to use their songs to point out inconsistencies, lament certain events, and slay any holier-than-thou attitude they come across, and Goodbye Cool World delivers these things in spades.  “Side Projects Are Never Successful” takes aim at anti-consumerist fallacies (Fugazi), “Sorry, Brooklyn, Dancing Won’t Solve Anything” shames those who reject activism and discussion in favour of mindless bar culture, and “My Response To An Article in Alternative Press” is exactly that: a scathing indictment about turning in punk for what’s popular/lucractive.  

Also, “King of Minneapolis: Pts. I-IV” are the best songs that have ever been written about Triple Rock, Minneapolis, or that entire frozen wasteland of a state.

Download it for free (or be a cool person and donate) here.