2012 In Review: J's Favourite Music (Part I)

I hemmed and hawed a bunch about how to do this.

Should I do an EP list and an LP list? Should I break it up into genres? Should I put it in a carefully considered order? How many releases should I mention?

Eventually, I just curled up in the corner with a bottle of Sailor Jerry and a carton of egg nog, banging my head against a wall until I decided that it didn't matter how my list is structured. Which is why it WON'T be structured.

Here, in no order, are 10 music releases that I dug this year. I'll throw up another batch a little later.

Enjoy!

Masked Intruder - Masked Intruder

Ok… Why?:

Because lots of punk bands are smart and angry. Lots of punk bands are stupid and fun. Some punk bands even manage to be stupid and angry. But precious few are legitimately clever and exuberantly, almost defiantly, fun.

Masked Intruder’s singular brand of lighthearted stalker punk hit a niche that I hadn’t realized I was aching for. You can overthink it as a commentary on the subtext of large swaths of pop music. But you can just as easily turn off that part of your brain and get lost in the fast, melodic and undeniable songs that make up this 13 track masterpiece.

Yeah, I said it.

Frost Giant – When Myth and History Merged Into Mystery

Ok… Why?:

Because there aren’t a ton of records that legitimately surprise me anymore. Frost Giants EP caught me completely off guard. It fused disparate genres, many of which I had no previous affinity for, into something new and fun and, above all, greater than the sum of it’s parts.

Usually, when people slap the word “experimental” on a record what they mean is that it’s kind of unlistenable and they don’t want to admit that they don’t get it. The opposite is true here. Maybe this wasn’t an experiment. Maybe Frost Giant knew EXACTLY what they were doing.

Either way, no other record this year left me hitting repeat, and scrambling to tell as many people as would listen, to listen to it.

Yellow Stitches – Good Times and Violent Crimes

OK… Why?:

Because I feel like Oi! is something of a lost art these days. When a Cock Sparrer tour generates more excitement than anything being done by a current band in this style, I think its safe to question the health of the genre. Bottom line: Oi! needs new blood.

This album delivers 16 fast catchy anthems on the subject of working, drinking and fighting HARD. Continuing the proud legacy of New England Streetpunk which includes the likes of the Ducky Boys and The Bruisers.

If you find a record this year that makes you want raise a fist and a pint while screaming along more than this one, I’d fucking LOVE to hear it.

Converge – All We Love We Leave Behind

OK… Why?:

Because I always end up liking Converge records. It usually takes a while though.

This was the first time since Jane Doe that the immediacy and chaos that this band brings connected with me right from the start. Putting “Aimless Arrow” first probably had a lot to do with that. That song is downright infectious by Converge standards.

All I know is that when I finished All We Love We Leave Behind, I needed to hear it again immediately. It’s probably not as good as Jane Doe. But as far as I’m concerned, it’s the closest they’ve come.

Rival Mob – Mob Justice Tape

OK… Why?:

Because The Mob continued their long standing tradition of releasing a promo tape to build anticipation for their forthcoming LP, even though it was blatantly unnecessary. That record is gonna be the biggest thing in hardcore when it comes out no matter what.

The tracks included here provided ample fuel for pit lunacy, and definitely leave you needing more. It’ll have to do until Revelation drops the full length early next year.

I predict that when the first Rival Mob shirts with the Revelation Star on the back come out, kids will be knifing each other for them like they were Air Jordans in 1986.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – The Heist

OK… Why?:

Because its a rap record that argues FOR gay marriage and AGAINST buying Gucci. If this record did nothing else, it would have caught my attention on those two points alone.

Fortunately, it’s also a damn fine album that takes chances with it’s sound and it’s content. It reminds me most immediately of the first Kanye West album. A distinctly introspective record that still manages to get your head nodding. It’s also probably the most accessible (in the sense that normal people would like it) record that I fell in love with this year.

This is fucking awesome.

Mindset – Leave No Doubt

OK… Why?:

Because, when it’s being done right, this kind of youth crew revival hardcore is probably the most invigorating sound that there is. And make no mistake, Mindset does it RIGHT. This record blends rage and positivity and straight edge in that very specific way that makes me wish I wasn’t such a drunk.

Mixtapes – Even On The Worst Nights

OK… Why?:

Because I’ve been in love with this band since Maps came out in 2010. While their previous releases (and there have been a bunch) were always great, this album feels more mature without sacrificing any of the catchiness and fun. Balancing silliness and seriousness is a tough line to walk, but Mixtapes do that here.

Plus, the dual vocals from Ryan and Maura have never sounded so tight before.

Bad Religion – Fuck You (Single)

OK… Why?:

Seriously? Because this is all that Bad Religion put out in 2012.

Frankly, 30 years in, this band has every reason to be terrible, and they’re not. I can’t think of too many bands, punk or otherwise, that have been this good for this long.

This one track, which will appear on the next full length, manages to sound like classic Bad Religion while still coming off as fresh and vital.

Fucked Up – Year Of the Tiger

OK… Why?:

Because Fucked Up continues to drag hardcore, kicking and screaming, in new and interesting directions. I know they insist they’re not a hardcore band anymore, but the elements are always there. Besides which, Damian has probably my favorite hardcore voice out there right now.

Granted, the “Year of the…” records are generally the most experimental and indulgent things these guys put out, but it works amazingly well.

I still like “Year of the Pig” more, but this is right up there.

More to come!

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.

Review: Fucked Up - Year of the Pig

Fucked Up

Year of the Pig

Matador Records

Tracklisting:

1. Year of the pig

2. The Black Hats

Starting in 2006, Fucked Up began putting out a pretty-much-yearly 12 inch single (with b-side) centered around the Chinese “Year of the ____” zodiac calendar.  Starting with Year of the Dog, these annual releases usually go far beyond Fucked Up’s already bizarre musical purview, regularly resulting in long instrumental sections, 15+ minute tracks, and esoteric lyrical content.  In other words, these zodiac releases are where Fucked Up, an already weird and enigmatic band, gets to be more bizarre than usual.

While some might find the above description less-than-favourable, I actually mean it in the most endearing way.  These ‘Year of the...’ releases often result in some of the most interesting and enjoyable output by these Toronto legends.  While I regularly hunt down each of these releases, Year of the Pig has always held a special place in my musical heart.  Not only was this the release that solidified Fucked Up as one of my favourite all-time bands, but proved that you could add melodic female vocals and piano interludes to a 18 minute song and still rightfully call it ‘hardcore’.

The lyrical subject matter of the title track deals with Robert Pickton (a notorious serial killer, who fed his prostitute victims to his pigs to dispose of evidence) and the chronic mistreatment of sex workers in Canada.  With guest vocals by Jennifer Castles (Castlemusic), the group is able to present a haunting and compelling composition about an important and often overlooked social matter.  It’s proof that there truly isn’t anything that this band can’t do.  Oh ya, and it’s a 18 minute song that never gets boring, and I don’t think I’ve ever willingly skipped over in favour of a shorter song....and this coming from a guy who prefers grindcore and powerviolence to most other forms of music.

As if that wasn’t enough, the 12” single also comes with an original b-side called “The Black Hats” which is a pleasant mix of old/hardcore and new/progressive Fucked Up.  In fact, it’s one of those songs that I always secretly hope they play live and scream myself horse whenever they do.

Do yourself a favour and pick up all of Fucked Up’s zodiac records, but especially this one.  Get it here.

Recap: Riot Fest Toronto 2012

I'm not 100% sure how I feel about Riot Fest Toronto.

Maybe it's just the residual afterglow of the staggering experience that was This is Hardcore 2012. But after a great many hours spent standing around the Garrison Commons, I have to say I found the experience lacking. None of the blame for that should be laid at the feet of the performers. The sets that I caught we're uniformly awesome, each in their own way.

My gripes are really with everything surrounding the music. From the ubiquitous pimping of Jäger to the set up of the grounds to the available food options. When I wasn't watching some of my favorite bands, I found myself noticing all the places that shit could have (and should have) been better.

That being said, it always easy to find fault. And as far music festivals goes, this wasn't as bad as it could have been. Just, please, rent some goddamn lights next time. That's all the bitching I'm gonna do, I swear.

On to the good shit: Bands!

I, regrettably, missed the first three bands. I would love to have a good excuse for that because I generally go out of my way to support openers. But, as it turns out, I was just hung over... So, yeah. Kinda sucked. At the very least, I had wanted to catch Junior Battles since I really enjoyed their album from last year.

Because I showed up late, the first thing I managed to catch at Riot Fest was Andrew WK. I'm not really a fan. I think "Party Hard" was a fine, if ridiculous, radio song. But, the appeal of the rest of the guy's work escapes me. WK's set was billed as "a special solo performance" and I was super curious to see how THAT was gonna work. Turns out, they play the CD and Andrew WK sings, play keyboard and banters over top. It actually worked way better than it sounds. Honestly, it's pretty hard to fault the guy for what he does. He has certainly parlayed his persona into FAR more of a career than anyone had any reason to expect. At the end of the day, dude makes it his job to get people pumped and succeeds admirably at doing so. Not my cup of tea, but still glad I saw it. Homeboy is REALLY into parties.

Next up was The Lawrence Arms... From Chicago... Coolest band on the Fest... Their t-shirts were the cheapest. This was one of my most anticipated sets of the day since I've never seen the band before. It wasn't a let down, but I did have a gang of songs I wanted to hear that didn't make the set list. That's a personal problem though and the rest of the growing mob seemed satisfied. I'll have to be on the lookout for a show that these guys are headlining so they'll have time to play me all the songs I want. May need fly to Chicago for that one, though.

Less Than Jake was next up. If you don't like LTJ, you're fucking lying. That band has been awesome for 2 decades. Fact. I don't care if ska punk was supposed to die in the 90's, there are precious few genres I enjoy live more than this. They played a set that seemed focused on the past, and they even repeated a sentiment from the stage I've heard from them before: Never let a band tell you their new shit is better than their old. It isn't. And so we were graced with mostly the classics. "Look What Happened," "All My Best Friends Are Metalheads," "Johnny Quest Thinks We're Sellouts." Bottom line? Fuck yeah! The end.

I think maybe Hot Water Music needs be enjoyed in a smaller setting. I get that they're way past playing at, like, The Horseshoe, or whatever. But throughout the whole set, I just found myself wishing there we less people and natural light around. Something about that band has always screamed dark, smoke filled bar to me. Good set though, and they played "Trusty Chords" so I was happy. It also seemed like an oddly appropriate segue between Less Than Jake and Fucked Up. Don't ask me to explain how, because I can't. I just thought it worked.

Which leads me to the almighty Fucked Up. They are Fucked Up, everything they do is awesome as far as I'm concerned. This was the first time I'd seen them in months, which for me is a long time. And goddamn it, they rocked shit as usual. Damian left the stage early, never to return from the pit. Meanwhile, back on the stage, the rest of the band cranked out the usual wall of guitar driven sound that they are known for. The set relied heavily on David Comes To Life, with a few throwbacks mixed through for good measure. They didn't play "Son The Father," that's always a bummer. My only other complaint was that Damian promised that NOFX were gonna play "Drugs Are Good" and then they didn't. I know he's not in charge of that band, but it still hurt.

NOFX came up next and played a sloppy, disorganized set that had about as much banter as it did songs. They admitted that they hadn't played OR practiced in quite some time. There also seemed to be some disagreement about what songs were gonna be played. Overall, the whole thing smacked of a profound lack of professionalism. So...  A NOFX show. But I've loved that band for more than half my life and there is really nothing they can do that will change that now. I'm just too goddamn invested at this point. Besides, complaining about about how sloppy and juvenile a NOFX set gets is a lot like complaining that South Park is tasteless. The problem REALLY isn't the show. It's 2012, and you should have known what you were getting into.

Finally, Descendents played to about half as many people as NOFX. That shit is lame. More people should have stayed. Seriously, show some fucking respect. If Fat Mike and them gave us a sloppy and unpolished spectacle, Milo and company delivered a tight and blistering display of proficiency. This band doesn't NEED to be this good at this point. Frankly, none of us has any right to EXPECT them to be this good. And yet, they still take the stage, at damn near 50 years old, and show the kids how shit is done. It's nothing short of fucking inspiring. I still need to see them do "'Merican" live, maybe someday.

So yeah... The music delivered in spades. Not a bad set to be had. There were issues with the logistics and amenities. I managed to pay $5 for, mathematically, the WORST hot dog in recorded sausage history. That was shitty.

But, a week from now, I'll remember the music... Not the lack of seating and 25$ T-shirts.

Seriously, fuck that hot dog though. That was bullshit.

Podcast: Lost Tribe Ep. 8

Lost Tribe Ep. 8: Riot Fest/Criminal Minds

In this episode the boys talk about Toronto's upcoming Riot Fest, how awkward it can be to meet 'famous' band members, shitting in public, how good Hoax is, how sexy Shemar Moore is, the problems with Criminal Minds and other shows, and how good MI-5/Spooks is.

You can get it on iTunes or here.

Review: Fucked Up - No Pasaran 7"

Fucked Up

No Pasaran 7”

Deranged Records

Track Listing:

1. No Pasaran

2. Circling the Drain

I’ll start this review off with an admission:  I love Fucked Up.  Being along for the musical ride that is Fucked Up, from stripped down hardcore to esoteric/complex indie/punk/rock/operatic/hardcore/whatever, has been an interesting journey to say the least.  I’ve never been one for embracing an album just because it came from a band I like, so I’m being honest when I say that I truly enjoy every 7”, EP, LP and Double LP that this band has ever put out based on the merits of the music.  I don’t know if I just happened to grow musically as the band progressed, but I thoroughly enjoy “The Other Shoe” as much as I do “Police” or “Circling the Drain”.

Despite my expansive hard-on for this band, I will always have a special love for the No Pasaran 7”.  It was the first thing I ever heard from Fucked Up, after being initially attracted to them because of their name and the fact that they were from Southern Ontario.  I was immediately intrigued when “No Pasaran” began with a clip about the Spanish anarchist movement.  As a political ideology I’ve always identified closely with anarchism, although like most I despise the mall-punk mentality it often gets associated with.  So instead of just having a clip saying something dumb about “The Man”, I had found a band that associated with a historical/political movement that I was interested in....in other words, I was fucking hooked.  Once the music began I was even happier, as the raw wall of noise that was early Fucked Up was exactly what I thought stripped-down hardcore should sound like.  

My impression was totally solidified when I flipped the record over and had the change to listen to “Circling the Drain”.  As far as B-sides go, this definitely stands out.  It was catchy but also fast, angry, and loud.  The chorus will get stuck in your head for days, and the riffs still hold up a decade later.

Here at Lost Tribe we’ve talked about not simply reviewing new records, so here is the first foray into what we consider ‘classics’ in one form or another.   In other words, be prepared for a bunch of aging punks to reminisce about many more records from their ‘glory’ days.

p.s.  I do realize that I used the words “hard-on”, “love”, and “attracted” in this review, but I swear the whole thing sounded way less sexual in my head.

Buy it from ebay or something because it isn’t available from Deranged Records.