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!

2012 in Review: J's 5 Favorite Live Sets

Terror @ The Hard Luck

Us Lost Tribe weirdos go to a ton of shows.

Probably not as many as we should. We ARE getting older and we probably miss more shows than we actually get to. We go to more shows than normal people, anyways. Normal people only go to like 30 shows a year, right?

In any event, here is my completely non-scientific and poorly thought out list of my favorite live sets of the year. There's no order here because, you know... fuck numbers.

I reserve the right to revised this shit if my alcohol ravaged brain remembers something else I liked better. And as always, I'm speaking only for myself and not the rest of the gaggle over here.



Masked Intruder – The Horseshoe Tavern – Toronto – August 19, 2012

Anyone who listens to the podcast regularly will be familiar with the absurd amount of handjobs and eskimo kisses I’ve been throwing at this band all year. To summarize: I love this band a lot. Furthermore, I had the pleasure of catching these guys when they opened for Teenage Bottlerocket at the Horseshoe back in August.

The band powered through a healthy mix of tracks from across their 3 releases. Musically, they we're tight as all hell and sounded polished to the point that I can't help but buy into some of the rumors about who this band might ACTUALLY be. They really didn't sound like a group of dudes that just started playing together a few months previous.

As good as they were musically, it was the stage banter that made this show what it was. The band has chosen a gimmick and is sticking with it like a senator's wife. Every minute of the show maintained and underscored the running gag that is MI's whole persona. The fact that the whole thing is delivered with exaggerated, cartoonish Joi-sey accents (isn't this band meant to be from Wisconsin?) is just so ridiculous that it's perfect.

Legitimately funny as well. I seriously haven't laughed this hard at a punk show since forever.

Now that Fat Wreck has scooped these guys up, there should be plenty of chances to see them in your town in future. I can't recommend that shit enough. If you go, just keep an eye on your lady and your wallet. These dudes'll take both.


The Gaslight Anthem - Sound Academy - Toronto - November 25, 2012

My final show of the year was significant in that, after years of fandom, I finally got Gaslight crossed off my list of bands that I'd never seen. They did not disappoint at all. There's a reason that this band has become as big of a deal as they have. Brian Fallon is a crazy good front man and rest of the band provides a solid back bone for him in a live setting.

Honestly, after watching the last show they played here a few months earlier sellout in almost no time, and the crazy scalper feeding frenzy that ensued, just getting in the door for a reasonable price felt like an accomplishment. I suspect that the fact that they had played Toronto recently help keep the tickets relatively available. But, whatever, I just wanted in.

I'm not a huge fan of Sound Academy. If you don't have balcony tickets, the room usually feels too big. Getting in and out always seems to take about 5 minutes to long because of where the exits are. The beer is overpriced and only comes in cans. Lame.

Somehow, Fallon and them made the this 3000 person monstrosity feel like a far more intimate venue than should have been possible. I can't explain how they did it, but by the time they kicked into "Great Expectations" this felt like an honest to god punk show to me and not the radio sponsored, major label "concert" that it so clearly was.

Also, they played "Astro Zombies."

Dropkick Murphys - Hamilton Convention Center - Hamilton - November 17, 2012

Disclaimer: Dropkick Murphys are my favorite band. Ever.

I don't listen to them everyday, but there's is simply not a band that means more to me. Ken Casey & Company could put out a shitty record every year for the next decade and I'll still be there every time they play within 100KM of me. A shitty Dropkick record wouldn't even keep me off a plane to Boston every for St Paddy's Day that I can afford.

Even by my somewhat skewed standards, this show was awesome, managing to overcome both an absolutely horrendous venue and a crowd that left to be desired. They played a set list that featured a mix of songs from all eras, including some stuff of the upcoming record. Even the new songs didn't bum me out.

I fought through some kind of throat issue and screamed along to every song, fist held high. The whole time fully understanding that it would probably mean I wouldn't be able to talk the next day.

I couldn't talk for a fucking week. Worth it.

Bane - This Is Hardcore - The Electric Factory - Philadelphia - August 11, 2012

This one kind of feels like cheating. Half-assing it, at least.

We've sung the praises of This Is Hardcore on this blog and on the podcast so much that I don't feel like I have much else to add in terms of context to this.

Basically, Bane played to a sold out crowd of almost 3000 kids. No one stood still. No one stayed quiet. It was awe inspiring.

"Can We Start Again" was one of my favorite moments of the year. Musical or otherwise. 

Hoax - Siesta Nouveaux - Toronto - February 23, 2012

I saw Hoax three times this year. So, really, choosing one set for this list was kind an arbitrary process.
I'm giving the nod to this one based on the fact that it happened just over a month before Siesta Nouveaux closed down for good. That makes this the second to last show I saw in that delightful little cave. 2012 kicked Toronto Hardcore in balls something fierce. The city lost a great venue in Siesta and a goddamn phenomenal record store in Hits & Misses. I like Hard Luck & Rotate This just fine... not the same though.

Anyways, Hoax brought their normal (that word really doesn't feel right) ugly, hate filled 15 minutes of chaos and violence, powering a pit that cover basically every corner of Siesta's modest space. In my mind, the room was about 50 kids over capacity... but that probably wasn't the case.

Beer covered the floor. Debris flew through the air. A helpless box fan was destroyed. Blood was shed. The crowd united for the bile filled sing along that is "Faget." Then, drenched in a well earned coat of punk sweat, we all spilled out onto Lower Sherbourne.

RIP Siesta.

Stay tuned for more High Fidelity nonsense.

Review: Masked Intruder - Masked Intruder

Masked Intruder

Masked Intruder

Red Scare Industries

"When you're right, you're right.

And I know it cause I've seen it all my life.

That you're right, that you just can't charm a lady with a knife.

But that sucks, cause it's all I know how to do..."

2012 has been a pretty solid year, music wise. Tons of bands, from rookies to veterans have put out tons of amazing releases. If you're into to punk, in all its myriad forms, you've had an absolute embarrassment of riches to choose from since January.

Unfortunately, it was all for naught. I have found my goddamn record of the year.

Masked Intruder, straight outta Madison, WI, play pop punk in the Ramones worshipping, Screeching Weasel/The Queers sense of the word. They add to the formula a dose of 50's style pop vocal harmonies and serve the whole thing up polished to a glistening shine. Musically, the band is more than competent. I'd go so far as to call them exemplary, in fact. This isn't a style that strikes me as particularly challenging, but it's always good to hear and band that has it down as well as MI.

Where this band makes a leap from "solid and respectable" to "staggeringly awesome" is in there songwriting and presentation. You see, Masked Intruder are bunch of creeps, stalkers and armed robbers. They take the stage in brightly colored balaclavas and adopt color coded pseudonyms. They're just as likely to wait for you down an alley to steal your wallet as they are to wait outside your house to sing you a love song. Whether you want them outside of your house is really none of their concern. They just throw on their multicolored ski masks and spill their love all over your lawn.

Of course, this is all very tongue and cheek. The weird disconnect between the fast, poppy sound of the songs and the darkness of the lyrics is jarring. But once you get on board, it's about the most fun you can have without duct tape and a tire iron. And that's where shit starts to get a little bit meta. Pop punk songs about unrequited love are always a wee bit creepy. All Masked Intruder does is push the whole thing to its logical, but outlandish conclusion. And they do it in the most infectious and endearing way possible.

Consider the a capella opening to "Wish You Were Mine:"

"All I want to say to you,

Is I wish you were mine.

All I want to do to you,

Is everything all the time..."

That's a creepy as shit thing to say. But when you back it with doo wop style vocal harmonies and have Intruder Blue sing it longingly and passionately, its more or less impossible to resist. And that is the trick, really. This is a record you need to hear to truly get your head around. That's not because it's super complex, but because it's undeniable charm lies in its simplicity.

I also want to give a shout out to "Stick 'em Up," witch is less about being a creepy stalker weirdo and more about, well, robbing people. It has probably the best sing along part on the record:

"Stick 'em up!

Stick 'em up!

Stick 'em up!

I got a knife motherfucker!

Stick 'em up!"

Now that’s a chorus!

If I have a complaint, it's that my favorite song from the 7", "ADT Security," didn't find it's way to the LP. That EP is still out there to be heard though. So check that out as well. It’s totally worth it.

Bottom line, if you have any affection for pop punk. And I mean pop punk in the BEST way possible. You'd be cheating yourself to not give this band a shot. I just caught them opening for Teenage Bottlerocket a few nights ago and it was instantly one of my top five live sets of the year. In fact, I'm gonna leave you with a paraphrase of my favorite piece of stage banter of 2012:

"If any of the ladies of Toronto are looking to fall in love, we'll be waiting for you in various alleys around the city. It's like an Easter egg hunt! Except the eggs are looking for you!"

Like I said: Record of the year.

Bandcamp (Including a FREE download of the Demo)

Buy This! (On CD for now. I think I read somewhere that vinyl is coming in October.)