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Phil Collins - May 19, 2016

White Mystery goes for it on their seventh full-length album, Outta Control. The Chicago garage punk band is made up of frizzy red-headed siblings Miss Alex White on guitar and Francis Scott Key White on drums. The two go off the rails on the aptly named album closer "Thrash Time," as well as on "Finger," which features Francis spitting out some quick vocals. The album's sound more often favors a smooth poppy stroll with bright vocals from Miss Alex White, which is the case on "Cerebellum" and "Best Friend." This is the kind of music you want to listen to on a sunny day while walking down the Chicago streets, wearing big over-the-ear headphones and a denim jacket.

Things take a turn toward the unexpected on "Pacci," a mid-album epic featuring effected vocals from both parties. The guitar and vocals combine for a Middle Eastern kind of sound. The lyrics draw from a more dramatic romantic place than is typical for the band. "Sweet Relief" follows this with Francis delivering spoken word verses over a tight beat. Along with keeping up with a busy touring schedle, White Mystery has been releasing new music at an impressively steady clip. The band has put out a new album every year since 2010.

Get out to see this band live. Their shows are just as raucous as you might think from hearing their recordings. See them live at Earphoria in Chicago on May 28 with Gula-Gila, La Cosa and atta boi. Stream Outta Control below.

#white mystery #chicago punk #garage rock #garage punk

New Track Roundup

Flesh Panthers, Beat The Smart Kids, The Grow Ops, Speedy Ortiz Phil Collins - May 10, 2016

Flesh Panthers, Beat The Smart Kids, The Grow Ops and Speedy Ortiz all released new tracks in the last week. Listen to them all in one place right here.

Flesh Panthers - "Last I Heard"

Chicago garage rockers Flesh Panthers are back with new music in 2016. "Last I Heard" is the first single off their forthcoming album, Willows Weep, which is due out in September on Maximum Pelt. Flesh Panthers released NGC 2632 one year ago. That album made our bracket of the best albums of 2015. We will not have to wait long for the follow up. The first taste of that next record has a western/saloon kind of vibe. This is not the usual fare from Flesh Panthers, but it does not sound like a complete u-turn either. Piano and slide guitar from Joey Rubbish, of fellow local garage rock band The Rubs, give "Last I Heard" that western alehouse feel. Stream the new song below.

http://fleshpanthers.bandcamp.com/track/last-i-heard

Beat The Smart Kids - "Ruby Crystals"

Ska punk band Beat The Smart Kids have their first full-length album coming out this year. The album, Broke Again, will be out soon, according to the band's Facebook page. "Ruby Crystals" is the first song the Chicago band has released off of it. It is a fun, goofy song and it has a fun, goofy Transformers cartoon video to go along with it. The song syncs up with the video at several points. Watch it below. See Beat The Smart Kids live at Quenchers on June 1 with Kill Lincoln and Evil Empire.

The Grow Ops - "Slackspree"

Elgin pop punkers The Grow Ops released an unreleased cut from the same recording sessions that produced their 2015 eponymous album. Much like the songs from The Grow Ops, "Slackspree" harkens back to the pop punk anthems of the nineties. You can hear a little Screeching Weasel in there, as well as a little Green Day. In fact, this song is about sitting around smoking weed instead of doing anything productive. The chorus is a catchy shout-along: "Have we given up/If you ask me/Have we given up/Slackspree!" Stream the new song below.

http://thegrowops.bandcamp.com/album/slackspree-single

Speedy Ortiz - "Death Note"

Speedy Ortiz released "Death Note," the opening track off their forthcoming EP Foiled Again. The EP features two new songs, including "Death Note," and two remixes of the song "Puffer," which appeared on their 2015 album Foil Deer. "Death Note" is named after the graphic novel series in which people die because their names are written in an evil notebook. Foiled Again is set for release on June 3. Stream "Death Note" below. Catch Speedy Ortiz live at Thalia Hall on May 19 with Hop Along and Love of Everything.

http://speedyortiz.bandcamp.com/album/foiled-again-ep

- See more at: http://changetherotation.com/

#flesh panthers #beat the smart kids #the grow ups #speedy ortiz #changetherotation

In Rotation: Pessimist Prime - Grow Up!

Phil Collins - May 3, 2016

The first demo from the Joliet group Pessimist Prime mixes nineties Smoking Popes-esque vocal delivery with intermittent ska riffs. I would not call this a straight up ska release, despite the song title "Skanye West," but there are ska sections. They tend to ride in under the framework of a darker, more pessimistic, if you will, base of fuzz and lyrics. "Delta" is defined by such a change. Midway through, it morphs into a ska song (this exact point is cheekily pointed out in the lyrics on bandcamp). "Delta" is the longest and most interesting song on Grow Up!, simply because of all the changes that happen through the song's 3 minutes and 45 seconds. If you are not paying close attention, you could easily mistake this for two separate songs on the first listen. "Skanye West" is a quick, catchy, upbeat tune. There are plenty of woah oh oh's here.

The opening lines to the closing track "Social Ardvark" really feel like a callback to nineties pop punk: "Do you wanna see something that we were never supposed to see?/All the terrible things that we do to our own bodies/Just to get by." The lines get partially repeated at the end of the song, over more lush instrumentation.

I saw Pessimist Prime a while back at Gnarnia. Pat the Bunny and Ghost Mice were in town. It was Magnus Honey's first show. Pessimist Prime opened. I got there early and the whole yard was jam packed full of people. There was a full garage for all four bands. Pessimist Prime was a lot of fun. Their name certainly stuck out. With a full house for four fun sets, this stands as one of my favorite Gnarnia shows. Catch Pessimist Prime live at Big Momma's House on May 9 with Dunwich Rats, Sincere Engineer, Eric Funn and more. Find out more about that show here. Stream Grow Up! below.

- See more at: http://changetherotation.com/

#chicago punk #punk rock #folk punk #pessimist prime #indie rock

Random Records with Steve O

Gouge Away - ,Dies Steve O - April 25, 2016

,Dies. I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of another record that features a comma in such a significant position. I supposed we could concentrate on it, but after 12 seconds of feedback, you’re immediately distracted by something else. The blazing fury of “Bleed,” the opening, bombastic 35 seconds of ,Dies. Gouge Away have created an incredibly intense and visceral debut record. It’s in your face from the second the feedback gives way and doesn’t let up throughout 13 aggressive and energetic spurts. This is hardcore that veers into the powerviolence and grindcore territories. Yeah, occasionally songs feel different, like the slower, almost muted feel of “Who Needs Language” or the uplifting, almost poppy, vibe of album closer (and longest song) “Wildflowers.” Otherwise, the Gouge Away crew are perfectly adept at holding nothing back in their attempt to annihilate you. Whether it’s the shouts of “Fuck off / Get out / Eat shit” at the end of “Exhibit: Closed” or the lyrical bluntness of “No White Flag,” ,Dies is uncomfortable in the best ways possible.

Back on the 2014 bracket, Punch’s final record They Don't Have to Believe did quite well. I feel a lot of Punch vibe in Gouge Away. Hardcore punk that’s equally at home in grindcore and powerviolence circles, both write profound and extreme songs, musically and lyrically. Both have a powerful female voice that forces you to listen. Vocalist Christina Stijy gives an incredibly passionate performance here. You can sense the emotion carried on every line, every shout, every rapid lyrical blast. Both Punch and Gouge Away have important message to tell too, as Gouge Away does masterfully here. Whether it’s about animal rights in “Uproar,” the modern education system in “Subtract & Divide,” or community and belonging in “Wildflowers,” they use the platform given to them to share their message. The animal rights message here is probably the most powerful and emotional. Led off with the spoken word of “Until Every Cage is Empty,” Gouge Away makes sure you get the message in just over a minute of “Uproar.” “I’ve got bolts in my neck but I’m no monster / I’ve got bolts in my head but I’m no monster / I’m not made for your science experiment / I’m not made for your science experiment /Stop testing on me.” Everything’s repetitive enough that it’s easy to sing along, and you’ll want to, and repetitive enough that there’s no way you can miss the message.

I randomly stumbled upon Gouge Away; I think it was because I noticed someone compared them to Punch, and I just had to give them a listen. Definitely a brilliant choice. ,Dies has been in constant rotation since then. Emotional and intense, it drags you right in and at the end, all you want is more. I would absolutely love to see the South Floridians live sometime. Watch their set from Fest last year to give you a glimpse into the intensity of their live shows. And stream ,Dies from their Bandcamp. And listen to it over and over again. Trust me, you’ll want to.

- See more at: http://changetherotation.com/

#gouge away #hardcore #grind core #powerviolence #animal rights

In Rotation: PEARS - Green Star

Phil Collins - April 21, 2016

Second albums are notoriously tricky affairs. When a band's first album hits it big, expectations are set unrealistically high for the follow up. You have your whole life to write your first album. The fans, the label and the people walking down the street want the second album right away. PEARS' first album, Go To Prison, finished second on this blog's best of the year bracket in 2014 (Against Me!'s Transgender Dysphoria Blues ran the table that year) and garnered plenty of attention in the punk world. That album was re-released on Fat Wreck Chords, which also released a 7-inch from the band last Fall and Green Star earlier this month.

I like this album more each time I listen to it. I know Go To Prison backwards and forwards, so it was hard to even compare these two records until I got to know the songs on Green Star a little bit. The first time I heard the poppy, tambourine-shaking opening of "Cloverleaf," I was looking around wondering what was going on. By the third listen, I was jamming that intro like it was 1999. It's the back and forth between this excessively poppy section and the screamed lyrics that follow that make it so enticing. The New Orleans hardcore band have always had a penchant for messing with the listener. This is perhaps best exemplified by the quick "Partridge Family" guitar lick followed by a screaming tirade that rivals any hardcore section on the album. PEARS can execute this type of gag with the precision, timing and tone it takes to pull it off.

"Cumshots" is one of the more straightforward hardcore songs on the record. "Green Star" fits perfectly into that Fat Wreck pop punk sound. "Anhedonia" and "Snowflake" carry over from last year's Letters To Memaw 7-inch. The second half of "Anhedonia" emphasizes the backing vocals and harmonies, giving it a dramatically different sound than the original recording. A couple piano interludes pop up during the latter half of the album, a surprising but welcome addition to the proceedings.

PEARS continue their relentless touring schedule. They will be in town on June 2 with Subhumans and La Armada at the Double Door. Stream Green Star below.

- See more at: http://changetherotation.com/

#pears #green star #punk rock #in rotation #hardcore #hardcore punk

In Rotation: Crystal Gravy - Helicopter to Bang Mansion

Phil Collins - April 12, 2016

Crystal Gravy, the acoustic/keytar duo of Dave Green and Nikki Rice, hit a tone on this record that cannot be easy to get right. It approximates that kind of joking, right, but not joking, tongue in cheek, but completely straight-faced delivery found on songs like "Afternoon Delight." Helicopter to Bang Mansion's title track flows like a song from a medieval minstrel, regaling listeners with the tale of "a place where my baby's always got wood." The penultimate track, "Five Regrets of the Dying," also takes a storytelling approach, although it is a more serious song. This runs directly into the closing reprise of "Helicopter to Bang Mansion."

This is the DeKalb band's first full-length album, following up last year's Night Dinner EP. For fans of that release, this album builds on the harmonies, evocative lyrics and humor throughout the longer format. Centaur Nikki and Merman Dave on Helicopter to Bang Mansion's cover art give you a pretty good idea of what you are getting into here. We, the listeners, are like the cat looking on from the sun.

Stream Helicopter to Bang Mansion below. Catch Crystal Gravy live at the House Cafe in DeKalb on April 26 with the Paul Collins Beat and Dany Laj and the Looks.

- See more at: http://changetherotation.com/

#crystal gravy #helicopter to bang mansion #in rotation

Random Records with Steve O: The Falcon - Gather Up The Chaps

Steve O - April 10, 2016

If you listened to us discuss the merits of every record on our 2015 Bracket, you heard me mention how I’m not a part of that group that deems everything Jeff Rosenstock does gold. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I fit into a different group, one that seems much more Chicagoan than New York’s Rosenstock. I fall into that demographic that is obsessed with everything Brendan Kelly puts out. The Lawrence Arms were my introduction to Kelly’s gruff voice, his lyrics which masterfully mix crude humor, pop culture, and literature with a somewhat depressing glance at life, and songs that hit hard and fast. But the man keeps busy, writing music or tweeting as a nihilistic fast-food chain (or as his humorous self).

Ten years ago, the Falcon released their first record, Unicornography. And now, here we are with record number two, Gather Up The Chaps. Just a couple of listens to Gather Up The Chaps really makes you wish records like this came out more often. Hopefully it won’t be another ten years til Kelly gets the band back together for another record. This iteration of the Falcon got together to play Red Scare Industries’ 10th Anniversary show back in October 2014. And it went quite well. (I was there and I can attest that it was a great performance.) And so, that team, consisting of Kelly, his Lawrence Arms bandmate Neil Hennessey, Alkaline Trio’s Dan Andriano, and the Loved Ones’ Dave Hause, have put out 2016’s record of the year. That’s right, bracket committee; I’m calling it in April.

Gather Up The Chaps sounds exactly like you would expect given that cast. And Kelly shares the show with his all-star cast. “You Dumb Dildos” gives Andriano a chance to shine, before a chaotic ending, while “If Dave Did It,” is Hause’s take on how a Falcon song should sound; it’s got woahs and that Falcon sense of humor, (listen close to hear Kelly sarcastically remark “did he say hipster ass?”) And then there’s the typical Brendan Kelly songs. He rapidly barks out lines such as “Grapple down the scaffolding like Hasselhoff dismantling / The greasy mantle pieces and the cheesiest diseases…/ Mangling a cheeseburger while rolling in your feces / I’m a hairy, old Khaleesi, draggin’ ass, draggin’ on / Overacting after all the audience is gone,” in the rapid-fire “Hasselhoff Cheeseburger.” The opening lines of “Sergio’s Here” are classic Kelly: “I went to rehab for being too damn high / With you dumb motherfuckers in the middle of the night / And when I get back, I'm gonna find you guys / Take us to the L&L and make us drink 'til one of us dies.” Then there’s Kelly’s intellect, which shows off with lines like “The kraken strangles the girth of the whale / Blood so black as it drains in the shale / The war of colossus, leviathan pride / Something gigantic is dying tonight,” from “War of Colossus.” Kelly definitely has his own unique lyrical voice, and the lines here sure belong. Musically, it’s the catchy, gruff, pop punk, the kind you associate with the member’s other bands. There’s some slower, more reflective songs (“Dead Rose”), but most of the time the Falcon keep a faster pace. Particular highlights include the melancholic “Sailor’s Grave,” with its mid-pace, woahs, and self-deprecating chaos, “The Fighter, The Rube, The Asshole” and its sing-alongs (“Stay the fuck out of my alley,”) Hause’s “If Dave Did It,” the two-faced “You Dumb Dildos,” which is half classic Andriano, half Falcon chaos, and, well really every song. You really gotta listen to this one. Youtube stream above.

Kelly played an acoustic set at Reckless Records back in March to celebrate the release of Gather Up The Chaps. It was a great set made up of mostly Falcon songs. Watch some of them at the link.

- See more at: http://changetherotation.com/random-record-the-falcon-gather-up-the-chaps.html#sthash.R7W6rp3s.dpuf

#the falcon #gather up the chaps #brendan kelly

Recap: Savages at the Metro

Phil Collins - April 8, 2016

Savages at the Metro on Thursday

London post punk group Savages swung by the Metro on Thursday in support of their recently released sophomore album, Adore Life. The band's bass-heavy, striking sound made waves when their first album came out a few years ago, propelled on by their electric live performances. Savages lived up to that reputation Thursday at the Metro. The photo above shows lead singer Jehnny Beth walking out on top of the crowd during "Hit Me," a quick cut from Silence Yourself. The band played "Hit Me" for longer than the 1:41 running time on the record, while Beth walked out on top of the crowd and eventually dropped back to crowdsurf.

Another raucous stretch of the set came when Savages played "She Will" and "Husbands" back to back. These are two of the punchiest tracks from their debut album. "She Will" requires drummer Fay Milton to hit and immediately grab the cymbal many consecutive times, creating an invigorating staccato effect. Beth read a spoken word piece midway through the set, before the band played "Evil" from Adore Life.

Savages' performance was just as compelling on a couple lower tempo songs they played toward the end, including the title track from Adore Life. The climbing bass line from the last portion of "Adore Life" was stuck in my head after the show. Savages will be back in town on July 16 for the Pitchfork Music Festival in Union Park.

- See more at: http://changetherotation.com/

#savages #the metro chicago #adore life #Chicago Punk

In Rotation: The Kreutzer Sonata - Fight Songs

Phil Collins - April 5, 2016

The Kreutzer Sonata's new 7-inch, Fight Songs, lives up to its name. Four hardcore haymakers swing through in about five minutes. If you did not already feel like punching something when you drop the needle on this one, your knuckles will surely be unrecognizable by the end of it. The Chicago band's trademark combination of ferocious hardcore vocals and interspersed melodic lines, which was on prominent display on last year's excellent album Austere, continues to prosper here.

"Excessive Pride" closes out the 7-inch with strong lyrics. Adam screams "People hate without knowing who you are; look down on you for where you're from/But if you're as weak as them to believe their lies, the bastards have already won." This is followed by two lines sneered out by Kat: "No better way to sound less significant, no better way to sound more irrelevant." Those lines are repeated at the end of the song, separated by terse ticking percussion. It is my favorite moment on Fight Songs and the fact that it comes right at the end of the B side underscores the idea that I cannot get enough of this band. "It's Getting Worse" opens the EP with a kick to the teeth. "No Empathy" features some charged up vocals and a cool bass breakout midway through.

Fans of hardcore punk music will find plenty to like here. Fight Songs is out on vinyl via Nothing New Records. Check their website for the physical release and stream the EP below.

- See more at: http://changetherotation.com/

#the kreutzer sonata #fight songs #chicago punk #chicago hardcore #hardcore punk #straight edge

In Rotation: The Cheap Dates - A Thousand Year Flood

Phil Collins - March 30, 2016

If you listened to The Cheap Dates' debut cassette, Piss Away Another God Damn Year, the follow-up represents the other side of the coin. Released less than a year apart, the uninitiated would be hard pressed to guess that these EPs came from the same band. A Thousand Year Flood is comprised of seven tracks of the Chicago band in their surfy, heavier incarnation. If you have seen The Cheap Dates live, you are already familiar with this dichotomy. Their first EP featured songs with Danny on vocals and Sean on guitar, while A Thousand Year Flood has Sean on vocals and Danny on guitar. For the sake of full disclosure, Danny is my brother.

The title track and "Crash & Burn" have been staples of the band's live show since the beginning. "Crash & Burn" closes the EP here - it has switched between opening and closing duties at a lot of their shows. It is one of their most invigorating songs, from the surfy instrumental opening to the chaotic ending. The bass lines on this track could start a fire on their own. "1000 Year Flood" showcases a straight up surf guitar riff and has some of the EP's best lyrics. Sean growls out "Surfing through this downward spiral/Counting the track marks on my soul/Life is getting cheap/And I really need some sleep/These hungry years they take their toll." A few songs that have not shown up in the live set appear here - "End Over End," "Coldbringer" and "Underground."

Catch The Cheap Dates live at the Cairo Ale House in West Chicago on April 21 with Kobanes, 100 Dollar Habit and Imbecile Missile. Stream A Thousand Year Flood below.

- See more at: http://changetherotation.com/

#the cheap dates #a thousand year flood #in rotation #chicago punk

In Rotation: Warrior Tribes - Warrior Tribes

Phil Collins - March 21, 2016

For anyone who went to see Mischief Brew at Fizz Bar last summer, something has been in the air for the last five weeks or so. During that time, all three openers from the show - Warrior Tribes, Poison Boys and The Cheap Dates - released a new EP. I reviewed Poison Boys' Headed For Disaster EP last week. Stay tuned to this frequency for a review of the new EP from The Cheap Dates soon. As if these three EPs dropping in such close proximity wasn't serendipitous enough, Mischief Brew just today released the reissue of their album Smash The Windows. That show at Fizz Bar featured a Smash The Windows era reunion. The moral of the story is twofold: Fizz Bar needs to start having shows again and all these bands should play a show together again.

Warrior Tribes' entry in this quartet of releases is a quick burst of hardcore. Pointed, growled out vocals ride over raucous riffs and fast beats. Two members of this local trio split vocal duties on this EP, both offering "super masculine" shouts, according to their bandcamp page. Four of the songs here are minute/minute-and-a-half long bangers. Only the closer clocks in at longer than two minutes. "No Face" has to be my favorite track of the EP. It starts with a snappy riff and has a catchy shouted chorus.

Warrior Tribes is out on "randomized color" vinyl via Hex Enducer. Stream the EP below. Catch Warrior Tribes live at Quenchers on April 3 with Harvey Pekar, Minority Threat and Coronary.

- See more at: http://changetherotation.com/

#warrior tribes #hex enducer #chicago punk

In Rotation: Poison Boys - Headed for Disaster

Phil Collins - March 14, 2016

Remember sitting on the yards-long hood of your car in a gravel parking lot late in the evening? One denim leg strung over the side of the beast, leather jacket and sunglasses doing most of the talking. Glass bottles and cigarette butts pollinating the terrain. Chicago locals Poison Boys' debut EP, Headed for Disaster, channels this generations-old drag of memory.

Hair metal riffs give way to short, hopping guitar solos. The vocalist draws out the vowels at the end of lines with old school rock and roll bravado. This is a record that sounds like it should be listened to outside, in or around a car. A car that has a name. Roll the windows down and cruise around, or park and sit on the hood. Either way, crank it up. The cover art of Headed for Disaster speaks to the era conjured by the music. The ropy, pink font and leopard print background give off that glam rock hair metal vibe. The black and white band photo shows little trace of the modern era. The Motörhead shirt, the leather jacket and the sunglasses hanging from a white shirt are all on point.

The physical 7" is out via No Front Teeth Records, a label based in London. The limited edition comes with an alternate sleeve featuring art from Emilie Karl. Give Headed for Disaster a listen below.

- See more at: http://changetherotation.com/

#poison boys #chicago punk #headed for disaster #rock n roll

New track roundup

Phil Collins - March 5, 2016

New tracks from Nervous Passenger, PEARS, Swimsuit Addition, White Lung, Evil Empire and Lester and The Finks all came out within the last month or so. Listen to them all in one place right here.

Nervous Passenger - "The Slacker's Lament"

Local pop punk quartet Nervous Passenger released a split with The Normal Years a couple days ago. It's out on cassette (50 black, 50 white) via Artistic Integrity Records. The Nervous Passenger entry on this release is one 8+ minute song in five parts. That might make you think, hey, are you sure this isn't five songs in 8+ minutes? That sounds like a more likely scenario for a punk release. This is in fact one running thread that covers the A side. Stream "The Slacker's Lament" below and check out The Normal Years' half of the split here. Nervous Passenger also put out a hot sauce this week, so if you want to spice things up, look out for that. Catch Nervous Passenger live at Subterranean on March 26 with Fitness, Brickfight and Dog & Wolf.

http://artisticintegrityrecords.bandcamp.com/album/air-030-nervous-passenger-the-normal-years-split?from=embed

PEARS - "Green Star"

The title track off PEARS' forthcoming sophomore album sounds like a match for the band's new home, Fat Wreck Chords. It's safe to say the new album from the New Orleans hardcore band is one of my most anticipated of the year. This is the first track PEARS have released from it, although re-recorded versions of the two tracks from last year's Letters To Memaw 7-inch will appear on the album. Green Star comes out on April 1 (let's hope this is not one giant Rickroll). Stream the title track below. PEARS, who tour relentlessly, will stop by the Double Door on June 2, opening for Subhumans.

https://soundcloud.com/fat-wreck-chords/pears-green-star

Swimsuit Addition - "Sister"

Locals Swimsuit Addition put out a split with Bloom a couple weeks ago. The cassette, featuring one track from each band, is out on Impossible Colors. "Sister" is a fun song that translates very well live. Stream it below and listen to the Bloom half of the split here. Swimsuit Addition also just released a collection of demos from their album Wretched Pinups. Check that out here. See Swimsuit Addition live tonight at Wally's World with Strawberry Jacuzzi, Mr. Ma'am, Pussy Foot and Slayer Kitty.

http://impossiblecolorsrecs.bandcamp.com/album/impossible-colors-club-swimsuit-addition-sister-b-w-bloom-boy?from=embed

White Lung - "Hungry"

"Hungry" is the first new song out from White Lung's forthcoming album Paradise, which will be released on May 6. Apparently the album will come out on "glitter cassette" in addition to vinyl and CD. You can use your imaginations on that one. "Hungry" is a little more mid-tempo than the usual fare from White Lung. Most of their songs sound like the third explosion in a chain reaction. Whether this is an indication of what the new album will sound like overall has yet to be seen. Watch the engaging video for "Hungry" below.

(video at top)

Evil Empire - "Cult of Domesticity (Reprise)"

Local skacore group Evil Empire recently released this reprised version of their song "Cult of Domesticity." The original appeared on their album Does This Genocide Make Me Look Sexy? That album came out in 2006, when the band had a different singer. That version of the song is more straightforward hardcore. This reprise has a lounge-y beginning, keyboards throughout the song and has a hardcore finish. This is the way the band has been playing "Cult of Domesticity" at shows lately. Evil Empire has been teasing new recordings for the last several months. Keep your eyes peeled for more from these guys. Evil Empire play at Chop Shop on March 11 with Run and Punch and Concrete Roots. Stream "Cult of Domesticity" below.

http://evilempire.bandcamp.com/track/cult-of-domesticity-reprise?from=embed

Lester and The Finks - "So Fucking Bored"

DeKalb's crunchy garage rock dudes dropped "So Fucking Bored" a couple weeks ago. It's a two minute song about having fun and drinking cheap beer that feels like it goes by in about 45 seconds. This is the first song released off an upcoming Lester and The Finks record, so watch out for that. See them live at the 7th Street Space in DeKalb on April 5 with The Cantaloupes, Hamstrings and Gonzo Violence. Stream "So Fucking Bored" below.

https://soundcloud.com/manglor-records/lester-and-the-finks-so-fucking-bored

- See more at: http://changetherotation.com

#punk rock #chicago punk #nervous passenger #pears #white lung #evil empire #lester and the finks

Steve O - February 29, 2016

Bathory Bathory Black Mark Production, 1984

While Venom named black metal and Hellhammer introduced corpse paint and lower than low-fi recordings, it is Bathory who were the best of the initial wave of black metal triumvirate. The brainchild of a Swede who called himself Quorthon, Bathory was a brilliant and creative band. Later stretching into the realm of epic Vikings, the early Bathory releases, beginning with 1984’s self-titled debut, were raw, energetic blasts of evil, old-school black metal. Quorthon’s raspy shriek, low-quality recording, buzz-saw guitars, constantly pounding, yet simple, drums, and those Satanic-obssesed lyrics not only laid the groundwork for an entire genre to come, but created a masterpiece of a record. You can hear years of the influence dripping through songs like “Sacrifice” and “In Conspiracy with Satan.” The solos sound rough and raw, instead of shining through, while Quorthon spits out verses like, “Hail satanic majesty / tonight we sacrifice / We drink our own blood / and blasphemy while / the moon is our only light,” in “Necromansy.” It’s a dark classic worth revisiting.

-Check out more entries in our Monthly Metal Mixtape at: http://changetherotation.com/monthly-metal-mixtape-vol-2.html#sthash.ku3ZALtr.dpuf

#monthly metal mixtape #metal #bathory #municipal waste

Steve O - February 29, 2016

Z is for Zombie Dogs

Zombie Dogs

Self-Released, 2010

We made it. We finally made it! The letter Z was one of the toughest, because there’s not a whole lot of bands that start with the letter (duh). And also because I’m tired of this and I just want to be done. I’ve had it with the alphabet. Damn thing is overrated. Anyways… I’m finishing up with the Brooklyn band Zombie Dogs, who appear to have not existed for at least the past five years. It’s hard to find much info about them. I discovered them on the site Female Fronted Hardcore, which is a great place to discover some awesome new bands, and should give you an insight into Zombie Dogs. By all accounts, they were short lived and only released one record in their time, 2010’s short and sweet, Zombie Dogs.

Zombie Dogs is sixteen minutes of intense, aggressive, and intellectual hardcore punk. It is fun music, with an air of youthful intensity, but it’s radically feminist as well. My favorite of their lyrical themes is its unapologetic nerdiness. Songs like “Nerd in the Pit,” “Brain Crush,” and “Awkward Youth” take pride in this. “3.14 nerd in the pit!” They are songs about growing up, and taking in pride in who you are. Usually, punk bands will take pride in hating school, not in their nerdiness, or they only take in interest in the history and political science fields. Not mathematics. (Does this remind anyone else of “I don’t wanna go to math”?) “Nerd in the Pit” is a flat-out awesome song. Elsewhere, there’s an in your face snottiness in songs like “Big Mouth” or “Flip the Bird.” Zombie Dogs remind me of the kind of band that would play at DIY spaces, where no one really knew them going in, but everyone loved them afterwards. There’s an energy that’s present in all of these hardcore blasts, all two minutes or less, that lends itself to an amazing live presence. If only they still existed.

The whole point of this is not just to highlight bands or records that I like, but to show how many great bands can be discovered out there simply by digging around. So trade music with your friends, listen to their recommendations and tell them about some of your favorites. Go support your local scene, go to DIY shows, go to club shows, and watch the openers. Don’t show up late or spend a whole band’s set having a smoke break. Watch the show, from openers to headliners; you never know what cool new band you’ll discover. A lot of these bands were discovered randomly browsing around and reading articles on the internet. One band leads to another, one site of reviews leads to another, and there’s always a whole host of cool new bands to look up. Get out there and find something cool, and then tell us about it. I hope you find at least one band you like that you hadn’t heard before. I hope you enjoyed the alphabet. I hope someone other than Phil read the majority of these. It was a real pain in the ass to do this for an entire month. Never again. But mission accomplished. I’m gonna take a nap now.

- See more at: http://changetherotation.com/

#zombie dogs #hardcore punk #feminist punk

Steve O - February 28, 2016

Y is for Yankee Brutal

The Everlasting Greed

Dying Scene Records, 2012

So Dying Scene is one of my favorite sites to go for punk news. In addition to being a great site to hear about tours and new bands and other news, they have a digital record label on bandcamp. There’s some good stuff on there, like the new Stray Bullets record, Texas hardcore punks Some Nerve, and New Mexicans Stabbed in Back. But my favorites are Sacramento’s Yankee Brutal. Playing punk rock on the heavier spectrum with some thrashy guitar riffs and pissed off vocals, Yankee Brutal have a political consciousness that hits as heavy as their music. Politically scathing lyrics, lightning quick guitars, some skillful riffs, and lots of whoas, Yankee Brutal remind me a lot of the heavier punk bands like Death by Stereo.

The Everlasting Greed, as you can probably infer from the cover art, holds nothing back in its social and political critiques. The title track calls out the business of business, with the spitting chorus of “So the tyrants can feed on money / Pour the oil straight down our throats / How do you not see the everlasting greed? / It's all around you.” In “Revolt,” Yankee Brutal lay out exactly their plan of attack: “I'm here to shine the light on all the things you'd never wanna see / Like all the poverty, greed, tyranny and senseless gluttony / They have us on our knees.” “Revolt” is set like a sing-along, at a blazing pace, in which you get to yell “Revolt! Revolt!”We also get their attack on complacency with “United Stagnant:” “So sick of this town / Sick of their faces / Sick of the crowd and my generation / Sick of the greed in this hellbound nation / Sick of it all.” Typical punk fare, but Yankee Brutal’s lyrical frankness and vocal deliveries make these lines stand out. When lines like “I am trying to believe / In some kind of hope / But the world gets in my way / And I think we're all screwed,” from “Petulance” are so violently screamed in your face, it can be hard to look around them.

Mix some fantastic riffs, like at the beginning of “TLTSTW,” or “Homesick (Hello Me)” and “Revolt” with some blazing hardcore like “Manifest Treachery,” “American; the Unjust,” or “Petulance” and The Everlasting Greed starts to traverse the line that separates punk from metal. It can be a tough thing to do, to blend these disparate elements into a complete whole. They mix parts not just within songs, but across the whole of the record, and you can feel where the punk influences are stronger (the lyrics, the whoas) and where the metal influences weigh in (some of the vocal deliveries, the guitar riffs and solos). If you are into bands like Death by Stereo or Strung Out, Yankee Brutal is probably something you’d enjoy. Below is the only live video of them I could find. It shows they opened up for Suicidal Tendencies, which seems very appropriate.

- See more at: http://changetherotation.com/

#yankee brutal #the everlasting greed #punk rock #metal #thrash #dying scene

X is for xTrue Naturex

For the Innocent

Self-Released, 2008

It’s not cheating. The first letter in xTrue Naturex is X, so therefore this is a legitimate entry. The fact that you don’t pronounce it doesn’t disqualify it. It’s not like Tsjuder wouldn’t count for T just because you don’t pronounce the T. (Let this count as the only time Tsjuder will be mentioned with a vegan acoustic project.) So yes, X is oddly stacked thanks to every straight edge band who puts Xs around their names. So thank you for making this letter much easier than it would have been otherwise.

xTrue Naturex might as well have a V in the middle of their name as well. And maybe a circled A and E in there somewhere too. It’s radical, anarchist, vegan, straight edge folk music. Wait, is that right? Damn straight. xTrue Naturex is pretty chill, playing all acoustic folk music, with meshing male and female vocals. Acoustic guitar and violin mix with songs of varying pace and intensity. “It Kills You to Know,” an Anchor cover, moves along at a slow pace, lulling you with the music, but the lyrics are anything but tame. “How can anyone chose death before life?” For the Innocent is full of vegan messages, from the opener “One Species,” where xTrue Naturex sing, “And when are we gonna see / that there’s no difference in suffering / one species / we’re all the same / we’re all trying to fight pain,” all the way through the title track closing out the half-hour record. “Total Liberation,” a Gather cover, is a call to arms, which shows xTrue Naturex’s ability to play at speed. To some it might seem preachy, and people will claim they don’t wanna hear it, but it’s no less of an important message than the ones being put out by your average straight-up punk band. Maybe being vegan straight edge myself, it seems like a really important message to spread, and not some pretentious, in your face message of animal rights. To hardcore carnivores, it might be the most annoying thing ever.

Elsewhere, xTrue Naturex put the X in their name to use in songs like “Be the Change” and “Ink Under your Skin.” “Be the Change” points out that alcohol and tobacco companies are the sorts of big, evil businesses that radical punks portend to oppose. “Ink Under your Skin” is a straight edge anthem, where xTrue Naturex wonder about those who have given up on straight edge, and announce why straight edge is important. “Industry of War” is a bit of the outlier here, attacking the military-industrial complex, opening with the immortal words of, “War / What is it good for / Absolutely nothing.” But at its whole, xTrue Naturex is a vegan band. “For the Innocent” is a self-manifesto, where they proudly proclaim, “For the million senselessly murdered / I am vegan … To bring the suffering to an end / I am vegan / Until the end.” And while it’s important to hear others reasoning, xTrue Naturex put it most directly near the beginning, in “One Species,” with the challenge “Go vegan / cause the animals don’t need your petty excuses.”

- See more at: http://changetherotation.com/

#xtrue naturex #vegan #straight edge #folk music #folk punk

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