Tristan Geoff's Post-Hardcore Extravaganza

Tristan_Geoff · 01-28-2016, 07:17 PM

End Hits by Fugazi

Year: 1998

Fun Fact: the titular end hits are the final drum beats played by Canty after F/D. When this originally came out, fans thought it signified their final release.

This is Fugazi's experimental album. It's psychedelic at times, really interesting at others, but never really strays too far from what makes Fugazi Fugazi. Full of cool recording techniques and instrumentation, packed with that signature Fugazi sound, it's hard to go wrong. Ironically, it's the normal-er songs that pull this release down. I wish Fugazi would have experimented more throughout their career like they did on their last three albums.

8/10

Tristan_Geoff · 01-28-2016, 07:35 PM

Static is a City (EP) by Static is a City

Year: 2014

The recent few years have been good to post-hardcore. While the 90's were all about noise rock influence and the 2000's were more math rock and weird arty stuff, this decade's focus seems to be revealing itself as shoegaze and post-rock. Bands like Title Fight, Touché Amoré, and The Men utilize these influences along with their hardcore influences to make some really polarizing music. This band sorta sounds like Touché, with less emphasis on skramz and more on the post-rock tendencies. It's ethereal and bleak, but certainly not soulless. The songs often start as jangly instrumentals, and burst into frenetic rants. Sadly, the band broke up not long after forming, so this release is their only real testament to what could have been an interesting career. It's a great EP, but they really didn't have long enough to come into their own.

8/10

Tristan_Geoff · 01-29-2016, 02:23 PM

Throb Throb by Naked Raygun

Year: 1984

I personally believe that Chicago is among the top 3 cities for punk in America. Modern day heartthrobs such as Lawrence Arms and Alkaline Trio hail from there. Back in the day, Big Black and Effigies rules the school. The famed Wesley Willis and The Wesley Willis Fiasco changed many's views on who could make music. Hell, even Rise Against and Fall Out Boy are from there. The Riot Fest takes place annually to show all sides of the scene. Certainly, one of the standouts from the scene's early days was legendary post-hardcore/post-punk group Naked Raygun. Plenty cite them as a huge influence, most notably Grohl of Scream/Nirvana/Foo Fighters fame. Listening to this... it's kind of hard to see why. Sure, it's full of infectious jazz and surf laced hardcore songs, but most of it just seems to but the books to make them more so notable than Husker Du or Rites of Spring from the same era. It's all good stuff, some frenetic hardcore and awesome (if minimal) experimentation, the guitars sound a lot like Big Black's (they actually share a member as well). It just doesn't seem like it should be placed above their peers, however.

8/10

Tristan_Geoff · 01-29-2016, 02:29 PM

Bodies of Water (EP) by Make Do and Mend

Year: 2009

Awesome! Hot Water Music and Small Brown Bike comparisons aside, this band does what they do rather well, sounding close enough to HWM to share fans but not so enough to have the same identity. If anything, I'd say this band has more pop punk appeal than HWM, but that's not a band thing. The poppy choruses and angular, progressive post-hardcore tunes come together rather nicely, and this EP is just pure bliss. This band kind of jumped off the deep end not long after this, and I'd only recommend the next two albums before any other later release.

9/10

Tristan_Geoff · 01-31-2016, 04:17 PM

Lp2 by Sunny Day Real Estate

Year: 1995

Sounds like Cap'n Jazz meets Sparta. Basic Midwest Emo. Nothing overtly spectacular here, but it's well written and a nice relaxed listen nonetheless.

8/10

Tristan_Geoff · 02-05-2016, 03:12 PM

Is it bad that I think twice about listening to an album in the post-hardcore genre now that I have to review them? Anyways, I felt like I shouls be keeping up with 2016 releases anyways, so here goes.

Promise Everything by Basement

Year: 2016 (this'n)

Right off the bat I've been hearing lots of negativity surrounding this release. All that "it's dull compared to IWICSH" and "sellouts" and what have you. I decided to go into it, like every release, with an open mind, and consequentially enjoyed it. Sure, it's got it's dull moments, but when it succeeds it succeeds rather well. It's a really laid back release; gone are the days of Basement's frenetic and youthful hardcore. I've pushed out Basement's association with grunge for a long time, because I never really thought they had those influences, but on this release it really shows. Imagine Nirvana mixed with elements of Title Fight, Jimmy Eat World, and hints of "Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)" by Deftones. It doesn't deserve all the hate it gets, and if you're like me it'll be at least an enjoyable listen.

Standout Tracks: Submission, Promise Everything, Halo

8/10

Tristan_Geoff · 02-07-2016, 07:30 PM

Hello Bastards by Lifetime

Year: 1995

Lifetime aren't really post-hardcore in the traditional (if you can call it that) sense of the term. They have emo leanings, but mainly take their influence from groups like Gorilla Biscuits and early Husker Du. My conclusion however, is that that's enough to make a band post-hardcore in my book; at least for the sake of this journal.

This release is a set of top-notch skate punk tunes from New Jersey's Lifetime. With Jersey's Best Dancers in my all-time favorite punk albums, it seemed right to continue my journey with them. It's got a cover of "It's Not Funny Anymore" that rivals the original in quality, so you it's great already. The songs consist of skate punk drum beats, infectious guitar hooks, and incredibly hooky vocals. The latter is enough to make you fall in love with any of their material on first listen. Stylistically, I suppose the vocals hearken close to early Green Day, but definitely with more character and less snotty Operation Ivy covers. Nonetheless, this band is great. Too great for my review to justify them. Just listen to them.

Standout Tracks: All of them are kind of samey, but not in a bad way at all. So all of them.

9/10

Zer0 · 02-08-2016, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tristan Geoff

Lp2 by Sunny Day Real Estate

Year: 1995

Sounds like Cap'n Jazz meets Sparta. Basic Midwest Emo. Nothing overtly spectacular here, but it's well written and a nice relaxed listen nonetheless.

8/10

What's your opinion on How It Feels to Be Something On? It's quite different from Diary but I've grown to like it just as much.

Tristan_Geoff · 02-08-2016, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zer0

What's your opinion on How It Feels to Be Something On? It's quite different from Diary but I've grown to like it just as much.

I've only heard a few tracks so far. They were great tracks too, so I'm looking forward to listening to it at some point. I'll add it to the request list, otherwise I'll probably forget again.

Tristan_Geoff · 02-22-2016, 08:19 PM

Seems like it's been a little while since I've posted last. I've been listening to Bomb the Music Industry, early 2000's ska, and late 90's skate punk pretty exclusively, so I kinda eased my way back into post-hardcore through means of Strung Out. I was also blown away by Bear vs Shark, so thanks Mondo.

The Element of Sonic Defiance (EP) by Strung Out

Year: 2000

This release serves as the middle ground between Strung Out's early skate punk sound and their later progressive metal/hardcore output. That said, it shows the potential of the band, but doesn't quite reach the levels Twisted by Design did earlier and presumably how their later albums turn out (haven't heard enough yet to be sure, so hang in there).

8/10